


Angels in the Snow

by EmeraldWaves



Series: Shapeshifter ABO AU [1]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alpha Gladio, Alpha Noctis, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Shapeshifters, Animal Ears and Tails, Completed, Fluff at first then Angst, Happy Ending, Knotting, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Not Modern, Omega Verse, Prompto is...a few things, Rated E for ch 5 8 11 and 14, Slow Burn, beta Ignis, kids to adults, mention of Lunoct, ruts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-12
Updated: 2018-02-10
Packaged: 2019-02-01 02:54:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 85,685
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12695730
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmeraldWaves/pseuds/EmeraldWaves
Summary: On a snowy morning, the wolf Prince Noctis discovers an intruder, a fox boy from Niflheim, playing in the snow. Though they quickly become best friends, everyone knows Prompto Argentum does not belong in the Lucis palace, and Noctis can only protect him for so long, especially when Prompto isn't exactly what he seems.*Completed*





	1. Prologue

As the tiny, cold, white particles fell from the sky and covered the already frosty ground in a light blanket of snow, Noctis saw a flash of blond against the stark white of the winter’s day. Even from far away, he could see the blur move about from side to side in the distance.

Snow fell as it always did - gently, silently. And normally, Noctis would’ve been mesmerized by the frozen water dancing to the earth, but instead his dark eyes were transfixed on the creature who moved about in front of him. He was almost jealous, as the carefree blond fox moved about, disturbing the clean, white blanket.

He could only assume the creature was from the Niflheim, with the way his clothes and tail were; a bushy, almost red fox tail, and his black tunic had armor attached to it, and feathers dangling from a headband pressed against his forehead. Noctis knew all about them—barbarians...war-hungry. He'd learned plenty from the council and his parents. Normally, Noctis would've stayed away as he was far too lazy to really go chasing after some speedy fox, but he'd never seen such a thing before, especially so close to the palace gardens.

His own dark tail swished back and forth, his deep blue eyes blinking curiously. He wanted to get closer, but knew he wasn't allowed to leave palace grounds. In fact he could hear Ignis' scolding voice in his head and it made him puff out his cheeks indignantly.

He'd sneaked away to come see the snow covering their gardens, desperately wanting to play in it. But Noctis knew he wasn't allowed to step outside the palace without someone with him, even if this was technically part of the Lucian palace gardens. And yet, now the desire to leave was much more enticing, since someone else had trespassed where they weren't supposed to.

Would it really be horrible if he stepped off of the back porch and into the snow? The blur was moving faster now, more frantic. Did the strange Niflheim creature not know where they were? Lucians didn't take kindly to people from Niflheim, and suddenly Noctis wondered if maybe he should be alerting Gladio or Ignis...this person, this creature could be coming directly for him and-

"Oh no... no, no, no!" The tiny fox said, stopping in his tracks, almost directly in the middle of the garden. Flipping back, the snow covered his nose and his pointy blond locks, the crystallized water clinging to his drooping bangs. His tall ears twitched, his bushy tail flicking back and forth against the snow.

This boy couldn't have been any older than Noctis, probably about 10 years of age or so. Noctis couldn't help but lean forward a bit, pointing his nose in the air as he tried to scent the other young boy. He wrinkled his nose immediately. The blond smelled of machinery, fear, and some unknown scent he didn't recognize. It wasn't a pleasant smell though, and Noctis recoiled, his dark ears folding down against his hair.

A gasp left the blond's lips when their eyes finally met. His wide blue eyes blinked, his pale, freckled cheeks turning bright red, and slowly he sank deeper into the snow, as though it would, for some reason, hide him after Noctis had already seen him. Silently, Noctis wondered how this creature had gotten past any of the guards.

Stepping forward, the wolf prince decided to move closer. His fuzzy boot made a print in the snow, leaving the evidence behind that Noctis hadn't done as he was told. But his curiosity was getting the better of him.

Quickly scurrying backwards, the blond began to breathe heavily, his chest heaving up and down with each breath he took. "W-Who...who are you!" he called out.

"I think I should ask that question," Noctis said, his ears perking curiously. "You're the one coming into my home, after all," he said, folding his arms.

"Your home?" the blond asked, sitting back, his guard lowering. "This place is huge!" he exclaimed. Once again he whipped his head around, trying to make sense of his surroundings.

"It is. It’s the palace." Noctis hummed.

"The palace!” The boy’s eyes were even wider. “Do you really live here?"

Noctis nodded, his black tail flicking around impatiently. Did this fox really not know where he was?

The blond's red ears folded back against his head. "P-Please don't tell anyone I'm here!"

Noctis tugged on his long jacket which covered his robes as a breeze flew by both of them. Where did this boy plan on staying? He didn't have any Lucian scents on him, so Noctis could only assume he'd crossed the border recently.

"Hmm..." he hummed, leaning forward towards the boy again. He sniffed the air around him, scenting the fear once more.

"Please!" the boy said, clapping his hands together as he bowed forward. Maybe he was running away from Niflheim, maybe he didn't want to be a part of their warmongering ways.

Noctis nodded again. "Mm..." he grunted, glancing back towards the door. It was a miracle no one had come for him yet, normally no one let the prince out of their sight, and yet somehow he'd managed to sneak away for a good deal of time, or at the very least, ten minutes. It was difficult to tell how long it had actually been.

"Phew," the blond sighed, flopping back into the snow, his body deflating against the earth. He lay in the snow, staring up at the sky, and Noctis leaned forward, attempting to get a better glimpse of the boy, but the blond began to move his arms and legs wildly.

Noctis tilted his head, confused by the strange Niflheim boy. "What are you...doing?" he asked finally.

"When there's this much snow on the ground, you gotta make a snow angel!" he cheered.

"What's that?" Noctis asked, his ear twitching slightly watching the boy flail about in the white blanket.

"I told ya'! Snow angel!" he said, sitting up finally. His hair, back and tail were completely covered with the snow. The blond frowned when Noctis didn't answer. "You looked confused. Have you never played in the snow before?"

Noctis furrowed his brow. "Not really..." he grunted.

The blond smiled, reaching forward to grab Noctis' arm. "Well this is a perfect time to start!" he cheered. "Okay, okay. I'll teach you!"

A small smile appeared on the wolf prince's lips. It wasn't as if he hadn't _wanted_ to play in the snow, he'd just never been allowed. And it wasn't like anyone at the palace was really close to him in age. Well, Ignis was, but Ignis already acted like he was an adult and not a mere 13 years of age. "Okay," he said, walking deeper into the snow, his heart pounding with youthful excitement.

"First, ya' gotta lay down." The blond demonstrated, plopping back against the snow with zero hesitation. Noctis slowly followed his lead, laying back slowly, as though he were resting one vertebrae at a time on the ground. "Don't worry about getting wet, it's gonna happen," the blond snorted, watching as Noctis finally lay flat against the snow.

His eyes stared up at the cloudy gray sky. The small snowflakes fell to the earth slowly, a few small pieces landing on his cheek, melting immediately against his heated skin.

"...is...this it?" he asked quietly.

"What? No, no! Next you gotta move your arms up and down, and kick your legs out and in! Like this." Again he began to flail his body next to Noctis. Peering over, Noctis watched the movement, and began to slowly mimic him. His arms flailed up and down and his legs moved in and out, it was a slower motion than the blond's but it still worked. It sure was harder than it looked though.

"And, tada!" the blond said, pushing himself up to roll out of the way of his snow angel. Noctis stopped moving and quickly followed suit, staring down at the now awkwardly shaped flattened section of the snow. "It's a snow angel!"

Next to him, the fox smiled wide, his fangs shining against the white of the snow. He gripped his feet together, rocking back and forth on his butt as he looked at his creation. Noctis, however, wasn't so sure it was an actual angel. The boy sitting next to him seemed far more angelic than the weird blob before him.

"Mmm...I guess."

"Yeah, see?" The blond said. "That's the head, and these are the wings and this part is like...the bottom of his robe...dress...thingy!"

Noctis tilted his head, following where the blond pointed. He could see it a little bit more...

"You know," the blond began, and Noctis almost fell over when he turned to realize the blond was directly next to him. "You have really interesting clothes! Super fancy!" he pointed out, his red tail swishing back and forth curiously.

"Uh, thanks..." Noctis mumbled. He'd never really thought much of his clothes...just that it was annoying to put on layers and layers of robes, even if Ignis did most of the work.

"Aw man, I met a friend and I didn't even introduce myself, I'm Prompto!"

A...friend? Noctis had never had one of those before. People were constantly around him, surrounding him and smothering him with things he didn't care about..but never had he ever called any of them a friend.

Prompto was holding out his hand, attempting to greet Noctis, and the young boy couldn't remember the last time someone had introduced themselves so...normally. Reaching forward, he grabbed his hand, and the blond shook it up and down rigorously.

"Hello, I'm-" But the prince wasn't given a chance to say his own name.

"Noct! Noctis! Where are you!?"

"Noct! You know you're not supposed to leave the palace alone!"

He knew those voices. Immediately, he felt his body sink lower and lower into the white, freezing snow, though with how black his robes and hair were, there was no way Noctis could avoid Ignis or his father. His ears folded against his head, maybe if he pretended not to hear...

"Noctis!" his father's voice appeared first, and Noctis turned around, swallowing. His father was frowning, his brow angry, his ears standing tall on his forehead. "What do you think you're doing? I thought-" His father froze then, seeing the other boy. "Niflheim?! What is a Niflheim boy doing here? Ignis! Take Noctis immediately."

"No wait-" Noctis tried to urge, but Ignis tugged on his hand.

"Come along your highness, it's not safe out here," Ignis explained.

"Huh?" Prompto gasped, his ears folding against his head as the King picked him up. His tiny body wiggled, struggling to get free, and he reached for Noctis. "Help!" It was futile to struggle against the King, the Alpha wolf far too strong for a tiny fox child to fight off.

"Where are the guards?" Regis boomed, keeping Prompto restrained as the young blond began to cry.

"Prompto!" Noctis cried out, fighting against Ignis' grip. And as the taller boy dragged him away, Noctis could see the falling snow starting to cover up their angels.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooooo this is my first full length FFXV fic! It's a fic I've been working on for a while, I have a good chunk of it pre-written, so I'm hoping to update weekly, give or take a few weeks due to the holidays! I have a lot of cool ideas for this, and I've been obsessing about posting, so I really hope people enjoy it!! I'm a little nervous about writing a full fic, especially an ABO since there are so many cool ones, but hopefully it will still be a fun read! I adore these characters so much, so even in AU form, I want to do them justice! Thank you to anyone who reads!! This is just the prologue, so it's a little short, but upcoming chapters will be longer! Thank you to xladysaya for betaing and Janie for also reading it over!! Hopefully everyone enjoys! :D


	2. Chapter 2

Ignis presented as a Beta, donning the silver wristlets which covered the new Beta markings on his wrists. And just as when Gladio had presented as an Alpha, absolutely no one was surprised.

He was meant to be the Prince's protector, his advisor, or anything Noctis needed in the moment, and being anything _but_ a Beta would've been unheard of for the Scientia family.

However, it had happened only a week prior and Noctis was tired of hearing about his own ceremony, which hadn’t even happened yet. This was supposed to be Ignis’ time, and yet people would not stop talking about him.

_"Soon the Prince will have his presenting ceremony! He'll be an Alpha for sure."_

_"I heard King Regis already had his gold wristlets made!"_

_"I wonder who he'll pick for his mate! A lucky Omega they'll be."_

Noctis flicked his black tail back and forth as he stood on the pedestal, Prompto untwisting the ribbons which circled around his baggy pants. "I can't listen to it anymore, Prom," he pouted. His arms were folded angrily against his chest, and he tapped his foot against the stand.

"I get that, Noct, I reeeeally do, but can you just-" Prompto began, desperately trying to get the Prince to stop moving.

"It's so stupid," he groaned, rolling his neck back lazily. "Everyone _knows_ I'm going to present as an Alpha. So who cares when my ceremony is..." he muttered, closing his eyes. "This was supposed to be for Ignis! Not me! So why is everyone making it about me?" The whining wouldn't stop slipping from his lips, his right ear twitching in annoyance.

Prompto's hands moved to Noctis' shirt, attempting to pull the back of it down further, but his tail kept flicking back and forth. "Well, uh," he moved his hands awkwardly around the Prince's moving appendage, "you're the Prince! Everyone gets excited about royalty, right?" he said, yanking the back of Noctis’ robes down finally. "You're all good," Prompto smiled, giving Noctis a thumbs up.

"Thanks," he sighed, stepping down off the dressing stand. "Sorry to have you help, Ignis is being fussed over."

Prompto rolled back down the sleeves of his own robes, his fluffy red tail swaying back and forth. "Don't worry!" he smiled. "I'm the Royal Best Friend, so I gotta do my part somehow!" he shrugged.

A smile cracked on Noctis' face. "I wish they had actually let me use that title," he chuckled. "Personal servant doesn't have the same ring to it," he sighed dramatically.

"I'm just glad they let you use _any_ title," Prompto replied, his ears folding downward.

"Hey, quit it," Noctis scolded, placing a hand on Prompto's shoulder. "It's almost been two years. No one questions you being here."

That wasn't 100% the truth, but Noctis didn't wish for Prompto to feel awkward about it anymore. After Prompto had been taken away from him, the day the snow had fallen, Noctis had begged to get him back. He had known back then, Prompto wasn't a bad person, even if he was from Niflheim. He couldn't lose his first, and only, friend.

His father had protested at first, claiming they had to figure out why Prompto had crossed the border in the first place. Who knew if he was a spy, or here to kill the young Prince? However, after days of leaving the young boy in prison and questioning him rigorously, Regis had finally decided Prompto was trustworthy enough to work in the palace, under the watchful eyes of Regis' personal guard.

At first he was assigned to the kitchen, but when Noctis was found hiding in the kitchen rather frequently to talk to his blond best friend, Regis had begrudgingly appointed Prompto a part of Noctis’ personal guard, (or his Royal Best Friend, which is what Noctis decided Prompto's ‘unofficial official’ title was).

They were both 12 now, on the brink of teenager-hood, and though Prompto had been in Noctis' personal guard for almost two years, people often questioned why a fox boy from Niflheim was allowed to be so close to the wolf prince. Even with all their words, Noctis didn't care. If he wanted his best friend by his side, he'd have his best friend by side.

"Hey," Noctis said, nudging the blond fox, "do you have any idea what you're going to present as?"

In Lucis, most noble families always knew exactly what their children would be, but Noctis had no idea how things worked in Niflheim.

Prompto's face turned bright red, his cheeks looking heated. "I-I have no idea!" he chuckled awkwardly. One hand came up to his wrist, rubbing the spot where his future markings would reside. "I...only knew my father," he muttered. "And he was...a Beta."

"So maybe you'll be a Beta too?" Noctis asked, tilting his head.

Prompto's tail swished back and forth even more. "Yeah...maybe..." he chuckled softly, trying to smile, though Noctis could see through it immediately. "Who knows! Maybe I'll be a tough Alpha and we'll have to fight!" he said, punching Noctis' arm gently. "Or...maybe I won't present at all."

Noctis snorted. "I highly doubt you won't present at all. Watch you present before me."

"And _I_ doubt that, Noct!" Prompto chuckled, folding his ears behind his head. "C'mon, let’s get you to dinner before Ignis freaks out."

Noctis rolled his eyes. "Ignis isn't going to freak out, and even if he does..." Noctis shrugged.

"Yeah, you only say that because _you're_ not the one who’s gonna get in trouble!" Prompto whined, his shoulders slouching, his ears folding downward.

Noctis shook his head. "Don't worry, I'll make sure you don't get in trouble either," he snorted, heading towards the door, only to be stopped when it slammed open, Ignis looking frazzled.

"There you two are! Prompto, what has taken you so long?! Noctis should've been in the dining hall by now! Dinner is about to begin, and the Tenebrian royal family has already arrived-" Ignis prattled on, nervously listing off all the reasons they were going to be in trouble.

"Told ya'," Prompto teased, nudging Noctis' arm.

Noctis shook his head back and forth. "Yeah, yeah," he grumbled, walking past Ignis to head out the door.

"Really, you need to be more mindful of the time than this," Ignis hissed, and left Prompto standing in Noctis' room, ears folded down.

"See ya' after dinner, Noct!" he called out, and Noctis waved his hand, stepping out of the room to attend a dinner he had no desire to go to.

"You know, I'm going to pick out all the vegetables," he stated, folding his arms as he walked down the hallway.

" _You_ know the Tenebrian Queen, Prince, and Princess are here, correct?" Ignis said, pushing the door open for the Prince.

"So?" Noctis hummed. "That's not going to magically make me like greens."

"Well, seeing as they are rabbits, the majority of the food will be green-based. Do you think you can handle this?" Ignis explained, stopping in front of the dining hall door.

Noctis' small nose wrinkled, and he pushed past his advisor, stepping into the hall, the long table already filled with food.

"So nice of you to join us, Noctis," Regis smiled, though Noctis could see his father was displeased with his lateness. Sat across from his empty chair were Sylva Nox Fleuret and her two children, Lunafreya and Ravus. The two sat up straight, their long bunny ears standing as tall as the back of their chairs.

Luna looked older since the last time Noctis had visited with the Rabbits of Tenebrae, she had to be about...15 now, her wristlets shimmering the bronze of an Omega and her brother, just barely under 18, wore his own golden Alpha wristlets. The last time he had seen them both of them had had bare wrists, though it was no surprise the two had presented by now. Though he was only 12, far too early to have presented himself, Noctis felt a sudden burst of insecurity about his bare wrists as he took his seat. His small fingers glided over his bare skin, wondering what it would feel like to actually have marks there.

"Good evening," he said softly, and the three rabbits all bowed their heads to him.

"Hello again, Noctis. My, you sure have grown!" Sylva said, her nose twitching the moment he took his seat. "Last time I saw you, you were just a small boy," she chuckled. "And now here you are, old enough to sit among the adults at the table."

Noctis bowed his head. "Yes, it's...an honor to see you again," he said, his dark eyes flicking towards his father. He could never remember all the formalities which came with these royal dinners.

"We were just discussing the prospect of joining our clans," Regis said, glancing towards Lunafreya. Her pale face was painted by her red blush, the tips of her ears twitching.

"Yes," Sylva nodded. "The Foxes of Niflheim...with each passing hunt...they seem to spread further and further into our territories. It would be impossible for us to fight them alone. Based on sheer numbers and strength, Niflheim could destroy Tenebrae," she explained.

Noctis' eyes flashed from Ravus to Luna, both of them looking pained as their mother talked.

"An alliance with the Wolves of Lucis would prove to Niflheim we're serious about stopping them from stealing any territory," she finished.

"Of course," Regis began, "Noctis, you are far too young to be discussing these things now. You have not presented yet, but we are hoping you will consider Lunafreya as a potential mate."

Noctis felt his face heat up, his ears folding down against his head momentarily. Lunafreya? A potential mate? He hadn't even thought about mates yet...and glancing over at Lunafreya's now even redder face, Noctis was sure she hadn't either, though she probably was already experiencing heats.

"I haven't...presented yet," he muttered, glancing down at the clean plates and utensils directly in front of him. All he wanted to do was eat and go back to his room to nap, or play a game with Prompto, or maybe even sneak out of the palace with Prompto. Whenever his father was busy like this, it became prime time for him and Prompto to explore.

"Of course not," Sylva said, her voice bringing Noctis back to the present.

"We simply met to discuss a future partnership. We wish for it to be on your mind is all," Regis explained.

The food hadn't come out yet and Noctis was already exhausted. He met eyes with Luna once more, her expression apologetic. Noctis liked Luna, he really did, and it wasn't that he didn't wish to help the Rabbits of Tenebrae, but...he couldn't think about these things, not when he didn't even know what it would _feel_ like, being an Alpha.

They were still talking as Noctis tried to wrap his head around the concept. An arranged marriage? What if Luna smelled strange? He couldn't scent anyone at his age, not truly...though when he looked up at her once more, he felt his heart race. She was beautiful, and he doubted she actually smelled strange. But...would it be odd for a him to mate with a rabbit? Wolves and rabbits...they had very different habits.

"So, Your Highness, what is this rumor I hear about you having a Niflheim fox here?" Ravus asked, his gaze narrowing as his eyes glanced between the King and the Prince. Those words certainly brought Noctis back from his thoughts.

Frowning, Noctis snapped his gaze towards Ravus. "He's...my personal servant," Noctis said. "Practically a wolf, he's been here forever," he shrugged, trying to sound as casual as possible.

"Really?" Ravus asked, raising an eyebrow skeptically. "So you're not harboring a fugitive?" 

"Ravus!" Lunafreya hissed.

Sylva shook her head. "Forgive him, he doesn't trust any foxes, but if Your Highness has checked this boy, and trust him, we assume he has done, and is doing, nothing wrong."

"I don't know if trust is the word I would use," Regis began, and Noctis couldn't help but think of Prompto's smiling face. The way he laughed with him was so genuine, so real...Prompto was one of the _only_ people Noctis trusted. "But we are-"

"I trust him," Noctis stated, making sure he was sat up perfectly straight in chair. He wanted to look as tall and as important as he could.

"Well, yes Noctis and this boy are rather close-" Regis continued.

"I trust him with my life," Noctis said, glaring slightly at Ravus. "There's no need for concern."

Silence filled the room as the four stared at Noctis' strong reaction, Regis narrowing his eyes at his son.

"Right, as I was about to reiterate, we are keeping a close eye on him, but as far as we can tell he is a good, young boy. He is growing up in our society, becoming accustomed to our cultures. I do not have fears in regards to him," Regis assured.

Noctis stayed mostly quiet for the rest of the dinner, angrily pushing some of the greens to the side. He didn't wish to look rude, but there was no way he could stomach that stuff, especially not after everything they had talked about.

Silently he wondered if he'd be a late bloomer. If it took him so damn long to present, maybe they'd change their minds or something. Either way, he wasn't going to sit there while Ravus insulted Prompto, a boy he'd never even met, and Noctis certainly wasn't going to make any decisions about mates until he presented.

~~

Puffing out his chest, Prompto stared down Gladio. "I wanna be...stronger!" he said.

A smirk appeared on Gladio's face, and the large wolf leaned forward, causing Prompto to immediately lean backwards. "Heh," he chuckled, the sound deep and dark in his chest. "Cute, the fox wants to be stronger."

Prompto frowned, his ears folding downwards. "I'm being serious, Gladio!" he barked.

With a sigh, Gladio stepped forward and placed a hand on Prompto's head. "Kid, you're not ready to train with me."

Prompto felt his lip start to tremble. Dammit. The last thing he wanted to do was _cry_ in front of Gladio, especially after he said he wasn't ready. How could he not be? He wanted to protect Noctis, in the same way Noctis had protected him only a few years ago. He had no one but Noctis to thank for his life, and what better way to repay him than to become a part of his personal guard, even if he was a small fox.

Clenching his fists, he turned his determined blue eyes back towards Gladio. "What do I gotta do to be ready?" he asked.

Gladio blinked, taken aback by the way Prompto stood his ground, the fiery look in his eyes surprising. Prompto knew Gladio looked at him as weaker, which wasn't untrue. Prompto wasn't a wuss, but he wasn't exactly someone who looked ready to fight. He kind of understood why Gladio had said no, and yet... he didn't want to give up.

"You're really serious about this, aren't you?" He raised his eyebrow, leaning forward.

"Of course I am! I want to protect Noctis!" he said, his tail swishing back and forth.

Letting out a sigh, Gladio began to head down the hall, waving his arm. "Follow me."

A smile appeared on Prompto's face, and he hopped forward, quickly chasing after Gladio as he led him to the training ground. The winter breeze blew in through the now opened door, and Prompto shivered. Immediately he was reminded of the first day he'd seen Noctis. His hair had been so dark against the beautiful winter wonderland, and Prompto had been simultaneously terrified and immediately enthralled. It had been difficult to tear his eyes away from the young wolf prince, and he'd wanted to get closer, which is exactly what he had done.

He was only thankful Noctis' words had been enough to convince King Regis of his innocence. Still, it didn't stop people from staring at him whenever he walked by. If only his stupid ears and tail weren't a complete dead giveaway for his Niflheim heritage. That, and he was never allowed to be a part of hunts on the full moons.

"Oi, fox, you listenin'?" Gladio asked. His arms were folded over his large chest. How the hell Gladio was so damn muscular at barely 17 years of age was a mystery to Prompto, but he did feel the pangs of jealousy.

"Yes!" he said, perking up as he glanced out into the icy wind. There was a large obstacle course placed in the middle, currently covered by gusts of snow. Ropes were laced with ice, and he could see a few of the flat boards glisten with black ice. His ears folded against his head. Was Gladio going to ask him to do this course now? In the freezing cold?

"When this thaws, there's a time you gotta beat, and you're gonna have to do it in fox form," he explained. "I'll teach you hand to hand combat, and how to use a weapon when you're older. Maybe after we see what the hell you present as." Prompto could feel his shoulders visibly slouch, hearing those words from Gladio. If he presented as an Omega, there would be no way they'd let him become part of Noctis' King's Guard.

The older he grew, the more he continued to worry he'd present as an Omega. Omegas generally weren't allowed as part of the Guard, there were too many risks. Prompto wished to be strong and helpful, like Ignis and Gladio. He wanted to protect Noctis. Sure, he was considered to be a part of Noctis' close circle of friends, but really that just meant he was able to stay close to the Prince. No one actually took him seriously, or really considered him part of the Guard.

"If you want to prove yourself before that, you'll complete the course in your fox form," Gladio explained. "Everyone in the Guard has to do so in their wolf forms, and just because you're a fox, don't think I'll cut you any slack."

Frowning, Prompto folded his arms. "I don't want you to give me any slack!" he muttered, his fluffy tail flicking back and forth in frustration.

A hearty laugh escaped Gladio's lips. "Oi, oi," he said. "No need to pout."

"Hell, I'll do it right now," Prompto said, storming past Gladio out into the snow. He began to shiver immediately, the cold air wrapping around his tiny body. He needed to focus so he could shift down into his fox form. It had been so long since he'd done anything like that. Lucian's did not enjoy the sight of a fox roaming around their palace, so he rarely shifted, usually only during the full moon when he was forced to. However, he often did so in his own private room, hiding until the forced shift was complete.

"Oi! Prompto, don't be ridiculous," Gladio snapped, stepping out onto the back deck.

Prompto felt his body warm up, the cold barely affected him as he sank to the ground, much smaller than before. Glancing back at Gladio, he shook his body out, the particles flicking off of the blond-red fur. He stretched his legs forward, knowing there was probably no way he was going to do this for the first time-

Which was absolutely correct. The moment he touched down on the first platform, he immediately slid off, landing face first in the snow. Even with his ears buried deep in the white powder, he could still hear Gladio laughing at him from the porch.

"I told ya,” he chuckled. "It's too slippery."

Pulling his head from the snow, Prompto turned towards Gladio's laughing form, huffing out as he hopped through the fluffy snow, returning to the beginning of the course.

It took about ten more times before he successfully landed on the platform without slipping off, but there were at least twenty more, and ropes to cross too. Leaning down, he began to slowly walk across one of the ropes, only to immediately slip when a gust of snow made him lose his balance.

"I think that's enough for today," Gladio said, waving to him as he stepped back inside of the palace.

~~

Hissing, Prompto jerked away from Ignis' hand, the hot water from the washcloth stinging his cheek. "Iggy!" he whined, his ears folding down against his head.

"Stop moving, Prompto," he scolded. "You need to clean these cuts or they could get infected," Ignis said, pressing another small towel to Prompto's shoulder.

"Ow!" he winced, crumpling under Ignis' touch.

"If you would cease your movements, it wouldn't hurt as much," Ignis spoke again, trying to calm Prompto down, when the door swung open.

Storming in in a huff, Noctis let out a growl. "I don't know why my father feels the need to prep me for a mate when I'm _years_ away from presenting!" he groaned, flopping down on the bed. His dark eyes fell on Prompto, immediately noticing Ignis gently patting at his face, the young fox wincing. "Eh? Prompto? What happened?" Noctis scrambled up, noting the many bruises and scratches over his face, neck and arms.

Looking immediately flushed, Prompto's ears folded down against his hair. "N-Nothing. It's not a big deal!" he said, waving his hands around quickly. How could he tell the Prince he was trying to complete an obstacle course simply to be an official part of Noctis' Guard? He knew how Noctis would respond, and it would not be well. He'd be angry, telling Prompto he already _was_ an official part of his Guard, no matter what the rest of the palace maybe said.

"Did someone hurt you?!" Noctis asked, whipping his gaze towards Ignis, as though the older boy would provide him with some sort of explanation.

It wasn't a question completely out of nowhere. There had been times when a few guards had thought to mess with Prompto, only to be immediately halted by the Prince stepping in. Though Noctis often ignored the whispers traveling around the palace regarding Prompto, and he told Prompto to do the same, the words were there, lingering in the air, a heavy burden which pressed on Prompto's heart daily. It was part of the reason he felt he had to prove himself, to make his position official.

"No, no!" Prompto shook his head quickly.

"He was-" Ignis began, and Prompto felt the panic rise in his voice.

"EXPLORING!" he yelled, cutting Ignis off. "I was exploring, and I fell...and yeah..." he muttered, his confidence fading the longer he spoke.

Noctis raised an eyebrow, glancing at Ignis who shrugged. Prompto let out a soft breath, relieved Ignis had chosen to keep his secret.

"Alright," Noctis shrugged, sitting back down on the edge of the bed.

"So how was dinner? Bad?" Prompto asked changing the subject.

"Did you eat?" Ignis inquired, squeezing out the towel into the bucket on the floor, as he draped it over the side.

Noctis rolled his eyes, puffing out a large breath of air. "Some stuff," he grumbled. He was surprised Ignis hadn't gone to check his plate so he could see just how much he ate and what he ate.

"Splendid, It would've looked a touch rude had you not eaten anything," Ignis continued, his tail moving back and forth as he pressed his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

"Yeah, well the food wasn't even the worst part," Noctis grumbled. "Seems my Father is already planning who I'm going to mate with." Noctis' ears folded against his head, his face scrunching up as though he had replayed the entire unpleasant conversation in his head again.

"As the crown Prince, it is important for you to plan who you will mate with. To keep your bloodline pure-"

"I know, I know Iggy!" Noctis groaned, flopping back on the bed. His head hitting against the pillow. "I know I'm supposed to mate with someone of royal blood, but what if I find someone better!" he whined.

Ignis sighed, glancing at Prompto. It was a conversation they were all too familiar with. "You know that's not possible. Lady Lunafreya is a lovely woman, and I can see why Tenebrae feels the need to form an alliance with Lucis...there have been whispers of Niflheim..." Ignis explained, though he spoke as if he were speaking mainly to himself.

"I haven't even presented yet," Noctis mumbled, biting down on his lip. He shot up on the bed. "What if I present as a Beta! Or an Omega! Then what will my father do!" he grinned, as though he'd found the solution to all his problems, not that Noctis could control what he would present as.

"It's highly unlikely," Ignis shook his head. "You, like the rest of the Kings before you, will present as an Alpha."

"Ugh, Ignis, just let me dream for a second!" Noctis said, causing laughter from both the other boys.

"Yeah Ignis, maybe Noctis will be some special class!" Prompto chuckled, stepping out of the chair to jump on the bed next to his best friend. He winced momentarily, remembering just how many bruises were on his body.

Ignis let out a soft snort. "I suppose it is enjoyable to dream, isn't it?" he chuckled. "I need to go check on the kitchen. I will return to prepare you for bed, Noctis. I expect Prompto will have returned to his own quarters at that time?" he said, raising an eyebrow.

Both boys nodded. "Thanks, Mom," Prompto teased, and Ignis rolled his eyes, his ear twitching slightly. He didn't enjoy being teased in such a way, but it didn't stop Prompto from being playful with the more uptight wolf.

"Goodnight, Prompto," he snorted, closing the door behind him.

"Hey Noct," Prompto said, the second Ignis left, his tail wagging back and forth. "Do you think Iggy hates me?"

"Psh, no," Noctis said, pushing himself up to sit across from his best friend. He smiled, looking at the blond, the freckles that sprinkled his face glistening in the gentle lightening of his bedroom. Prompto always knew exactly how to make Noctis forget he was a stupid prince. With his best friend, he could be whatever he wanted, and that was rarely a prince.

Raising his eyebrow, Noctis leaned forward, looking at the bruise on Prompto's neck and the small scratch across his left cheek. "Are you _sure _you're okay Prom? That looks pretty bad," he mumbled.__

__"I'm sure, I'm sure," Prompto said, grabbing his feet as he leaned back. "It's nothing."_ _

__"Don't make me use my princely powers to command you to tell me what really happened!" Noctis teased, waggling his fingers in front of Prompto's face._ _

__Prompto quirked his ear, starting to laugh. "C'mon Noct! You would never do that."_ _

__Noctis sighed, his ears drooping forward. "Yeah, you're right. Look, you don't have to tell me, but I don't want you to lie if someone is hurting you or something, okay?" he said, putting his most serious face on. He and Prompto were always laughing, playing around, having fun, so Noctis always used the same, almost deadpan expression to prove to Prompto he was serious._ _

__"I know, I know!" Prompto said quietly. "Noct, buddy, I promise you don't gotta worry about me!" he smiled. "It really was my own doing," he said, rolling his eyes at his own silliness._ _

__"Alright, I'm trusting you," Noctis replied, folding his arms, his tail twitching back and forth indignantly._ _

__"You should!" Prompto teased, nudging shoulder._ _

__Their laughter echoed throughout the small room, Prompto's face looking like a sunset against the dim lighting. His hair was so bright, followed by the gentle yellow-orange lighting of the lamp next to his bed, Prompto looked as though he were positively glowing. Noctis had never felt so overwhelmed when looking at a person, but it was impossible for him to not be drawn to Prompto._ _

__"Prom, when we get older, be my mate." The words left his lips without meaning to, said so quickly, and he watched as they swirled around Prompto, seeping into his body. First his eyes widened, his ears folding down quickly then back up. Then his mouth slowly dropped open, the words finally processed, and his cheeks turned the softest shade of pink._ _

__Prompto could only hear the light pounding of his heart in his ears. How could...Noctis ask him to be his mate before either of them presented? Plus, their classes aside, Prompto didn't technically belong in Lucis in the first place._ _

__"N-Noct! Don't be silly! I mean you're gonna marry some cute, royal Omega and I don't even know what I'm going to be," he chuckled, rubbing his neck._ _

__Deadpanning, Noctis reached forward and squeezed Prompto's hand. "I'm serious!"_ _

__Prompto's face turned even redder. "But what if I'm not an Omega?" he whispered._ _

__"It doesn't matter," Noctis said quickly. "I'm the Prince, and someday I will be King, so I should be able to do what I want right?" He flicked his tail back and forth, trying to make himself look important by puffing out his chest._ _

__"Well I _guess_ that's true," Prompto said, tilting his head to the side. "But...Noct, I'm just a fox, I'm not from Lucis, I don't think people-" he began to protest, talking himself down like he always did._ _

__Noctis grabbed both of Prompto's hands, squeezing them tight. "I don't care what people say," he mumbled, blushing a bit. "You...are my best friend and you make me happy, and I don't care what people think. I want to be the one to choose my own mate, and I want to choose you."_ _

__Prompto's lip began to tremble as Noctis spoke. He hadn't expected Noctis to like him as much as Prompto liked the Prince. He was forever grateful to Noctis for bringing him in as one of his friends, and now, he wanted Prompto to be his mate? Lunging forward, he hugged Noctis so hard he tackled him down on the bed. "Okay," he whispered, clinging to Noctis' back._ _

__"Prom?" Noctis choked out, clearly surprised by the large hug._ _

__"If...if you really want me to be your mate when we present...if you'll really have me..." he whispered._ _

__Noctis nodded, biting down gently on his lower lip._ _

__"Then, of course I will be your mate," Prompto finished finally after a pregnant pause. "I'd be the happiest ever!" he laughed softly._ _

__"Good," Noctis smiled, leaning into Prompto's hug. "Me too. It's a deal."_ _

__"A promise," Prompto whispered, clinging so hard to Noctis he hoped he'd never have to let him go._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ayyy the first real chapter!! I was so thankful people liked the little prologue I posted last week!! I'm hoping to keep up with this once a week posting schedule, though I'm not sure how long this fic will be, this first "chapter" still kinda felt prologue-esque to me. Hopefully people don't mind a slow burn kinda fic, lots more is gonna happen! Thanks to xladysaya for beta-ing for me as always!! And thank you to everyone who kudoed and commented on the first part, I am really loving writing this fic, so I'm happy people like it ^^ I hope everyone continues to enjoy!


	3. Chapter 3

When he leapt, he grabbed onto the side of the board, just barely making it across the large chasm. He kicked his legs desperately back and forth, yanking himself up onto the board. Panting, he shook his head, seeing the goal in his sight. Running forward, he tiptoed across the rope, and flipped off, shifting back to his human form as he landed directly on the finish line.

"ALRIGHT!" Prompto cheered loudly, thrusting his fists up into the air, taking a celebratory stance. "What was my time?! Did I do it?!" His tail swished back and forth excitedly.

Looking up from the book he'd been reading, Gladio let out a grunt. He pushed himself off of the long deck, stepping onto the dirt. "You certainly finished," he said, making his way over towards Prompto.

His ears folded back against his blond hair. "Well, yeah, but did I do it in time?"

A huff escaped Gladio’s lips and he pulled the small hour glass from his jacket pocket. The sand quickly tumbling into the lower container as the last few grains fell atop the small pile. "What do you think?" he smirked.

Prompto's ears slowly rose, his eyes widening as he watched his time run out, well after he had already finished. "I...did it!" he cheered, leaping off of the ground. "I did it, I did it, I did it!" he said, hopping around.

"You did good kid," Gladio agreed, chuckling at his enthusiastic behavior. Normally he would've told him to quiet down, or to stop jumping around, but seeing as Prompto had been trying for about a year and a half to get this course right, he couldn't fault him for being so damn excited. "Ya' finally did it."

It had taken Prompto about a year to complete the damn course, which wasn't _too_ unusual for smaller wolves, and seeing as Prompto was a fox, Gladio was mostly impressed he'd finished it at all. Most took about a year to complete the course in the proper amount of time, but Prompto had taken a little extra. Still, Gladio was impressed he'd done it at all. The kid had trained through sickness and all kinds of weather. Gladio could still remember grabbing the tiny fox down off of one of the larger ropes, when he'd gotten tangled in it due to slippery rain.

"Yeah, and before my 14th birthday as well!" he smiled, giving him a thumbs up.

"I don't like to throw this word around, but I'm impressed," Gladio said, his large tail swishing back and forth.

"Does this mean...I get to be a part of Noctis' personal guard, for real?!" he asked, his eyes sparkling with delight.

"Prompto..." Gladio said, his stance deflating.

"I know, I know, we talked about this. I have to present first," he grumbled, his ears folding back against his head. "But as long as I'm a Beta or an Alpha, I can right?!"

"Exactly," Gladio stated. "If you present as an Omega, the chances of you becoming a part of Noctis' guard is very slim. You would have to undergo a variety of tests, especially during your heats, and they would not be fun for you."

Prompto let out a sigh. "Well, I guess there is nothing I can do about it until I present. But hey, at least I'm qualified!" he laughed quietly.

"You are," Gladio chuckled, giving him a gentle pat on the head. "You did good kid. You gonna tell him now?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

"I dunno..." Prompto replied, looking to the ground. His feet kicked at the ground nervously. "I mean, I don't wanna hide it from him. He still wonders where I go off to sometimes. But I don't want him to get excited in case I..." he trailed off.

Prompto's 14th birthday was barely a month away, and he had no idea what to expect. As far as he could recall, his father was a Beta, which most likely meant he would be one as well. But it was hard to remember, he could barely remember the man’s face, let alone any markings on his skin, or wristlets he may have worn.

Still, he didn't know whether he would present immediately, or if it would take some time. Gladio and Ignis had both presented mere days after their 14th birthdays’, however Noctis had been 14 for a little over a month and a half and he hadn't presented yet. (Which was causing quite a fuss with many of the servants in the palace, as well as the general public).

"Look kid, the more you stress about it, the longer it's gonna take for your body to figure out what it is. Just relax, and it'll be fine. I dunno about Niflheim, but male Omegas are pretty rare here in Lucis, so the chances of you being one are pretty low," Gladio said. "You really don't remember what your parents were?" he asked.

Prompto shook his head. "I think my Dad was a Beta..."

"Right," Gladio muttered.

"A-Anyway," Prompto cleared his throat. "The only thing that matters right now is that I actually did it," he grinned, trying to shake off all doubt of possibly presenting as an Omega. He'd worked so damn hard, he wasn't going to not get the chance to be a part of Noctis' guard because of his stupid body.

Gladio smirked, Prompto was right, they really should be celebrating this moment, not discussing all the ways it could go wrong. "You're right, and hey, at the very least, you should know, you're the first fox to complete the course."

Prompto folded his arms triumphantly. "That's right!" he nodded, standing in another victory pose. "They said I couldn't do it...well I sure showed them!"

"What the hell ya' doing?" Gladio asked, tilting his head. "Didn't you only tell me you were training for this?"

"Well yeah! But it's a...metaphorical 'they'!" he explained, pouting his lip forward.

"Riiight," Gladio snorted, rolling his eyes. "I was about to say, I always figured you'd get there. Just knew it would take some time."

Prompto blushed. "R-Really?"

"'Course," Gladio chuckled, and gave his head another pat. "Now hurry back to the Prince. You know he gets antsy when his ‘Royal Best Friend’ is gone for too long." He nudged him, sending him back towards the house.

"You're right!" he gasped. "Noctis is probably done with dinner by now. I gotta jump in the baths! See ya' Gladio!" he waved, running back towards the house. He wanted to keep his mind occupied, and forget about his presentation which was soon to come.

~~

Noctis flopped back on his bed, staring at his bare wrists. His skin looked smooth, and clean, and he absolutely hated it. He groaned, flopping one of his arms over his eyes. How could he still have not presented yet? It had been a month and a half, close to two, and nothing had happened.

This, of course, made people whisper. Noctis had heard rumors floating around about him possibly not being an Alpha. He was supposed to be, but his body wanted him to present as something else, which is why it was taking so long. The whole notion was absolutely ridiculous, and Noctis couldn't listen to it.

Before he had wanted to be a late bloomer. And now, it was just so damn annoying. Of course he was going to be an Alpha. The future King would never be anything but. So it would been nice if his damn body could just hurry up and show him his markings.

He brushed his thumb over his bare wrist, clicking his tongue as he stared at the pale skin. "Stupid," he grumbled, angry his body wasn't cooperating. "Gladio and Ignis got theirs so fast, so why me," he whined.

The door to his room slid open with an enthusiastic slam. "Hey Noct!" Prompto's cheerful voice echoed in his room, and Noctis shot up, tucking his hand back down by his side. Prompto blinked, watching the snap movement.

His tail swished back and forth as he trotted over, jumping onto the bed next to Noctis. "Did you get your marks?" he asked, trying to peer at his friend's wrists.

"No," Noctis grumbled, shoving his hands under his thighs. "At the rate I'm going, you're going to get your marks before me!" he huffed.

Prompto tilted his head, his ear twitching ever so slightly. "Then...why are you hiding your wrists from me?" he asked.

"Because!" Noctis said, scooting his butt around to turn away from his best friend. "It's embarrassing!"

"But they look the same as before!" Prompto giggled, swishing his tail playfully. "It's fine, okay?"

Releasing his hands from his thighs, Noctis let out a sigh, flopping his hands in his lap. "Yeah, I know, it just sucks," he pouted. "My body is just being stupid," he growled indignantly. "I know I'm going to be an Alpha."

Prompto's large blue eyes stared at Noctis, his irises darting between Noctis' dark eyes and his wrists. "And what if you aren't?" Prompto asked softly, his gaze turning down to his own completely pale wrists.

"What do you mean?" Noctis asked, leaning forward.

"I mean, what if you aren't what you think you are. What if you present as a Beta or an Omega?" Prompto mumbled.

Noctis had been told his whole life he would be an Alpha, so he'd never really ever considered the possibility he might be something else. He'd probably be embarrassed mostly. What future King wasn't an Alpha? Of course if it got him out of being a Prince, Noctis maybe wouldn't have minded. If he was a Beta, he could travel the world, see the sights, not worry about scents, or heats or ruts. Actually being a Beta sounded like a fairy tale life Noctis would never have the chance to experience. "...I dunno..." Noctis said finally. "B-But it's not going to happen," he mumbled. "All my ancestors are Alphas," he said.

"What if you're unique or something?!" Prompto suggested, his face beaming with a smile, his tail swishing excitedly.

Noctis couldn't help the smile which pulled at his own lips. Prompto was his treasure, his ray of sunshine when it felt like the palace were slowly caving in around him, suffocating him. He had this infectious optimism, and a wild imagination Noctis couldn't ever match. If anyone was the unique one, it was Prompto. "Probably not," he snorted, nudging the other, watching as Prompto flopped over dramatically onto his side.

"You never know!" he smiled.

Noctis sighed and flopped over too. "You know what I really want?" he said softly, staring into Prompto's inviting blue hues.

"What's that?" Prompto chuckled, and his lips slightly parted, looking as though he was about to tell Noctis he'd give him the world, anything he desired.

"You're not going to like it," Noctis snorted.

"Really?" Prompto pouted, his ears folding backwards. Still, something about the way he stared at Noctis' dark eyes, made the Prince believe Prompto would've agreed to anything even if he hated it.

"Yeah, but don't take it the wrong way," Noctis hummed, closing his eyes.

"I think I can handle whatever you throw at me," Prompto grinned, his tail thumping against Noctis' bed.

The Prince reached forward, wrapping his small hands around Prompto's thin fingers. "I want you to present as an Omega," he said softly. "Then...I can really argue for you to be my mate," he said softly.

Immediately, Prompto jerked away, pulling his hands to his chest as he sat up, his blue eyes trembling. "W-Why would you want that!" he asked, his words spilling from his lips as fast as they could. His orange ears folded down against his blond hair, and he looked frantic.

"Prom...I-I'm sorry," Noctis said, sitting up slowly. "I only said it because I...I want to be able to stay with you!"

Prompto shook his head. "N-No...I know..." he mumbled. "I..." he ran his hand around his wrist. "I have something I gotta tell you," he said.

Noctis tilted his head, his heart pounding in his chest. He wished he could take back his words. Was Prompto mad at him? He knew it was more typical for females to be Omegas, but Prompto was so special, being a male Omega would only make him even more so, at least, in Noctis' eyes.

He just didn't want Prompto to leave.

"I...I've been training with Gladio, in private," he said softly.

Noctis blinked. Training? Prompto was training? "Eh? What...for?"

"To...be a part of your official guard, uh, officially!" he smiled meekly. He squeezed his own hands tightly.

Noctis stared at his best friend. His freckled cheeks were slightly pink, and his tail swished nervously about...gods he looked so proud and cute...it took all of Noctis not to give him the largest hug attack ever. "But...why?" Noctis asked finally. Technically Prompto was already part of his guard, even if Royal Best Friend wasn't a real position. Noctis had no intention of not allowing Prompto to be a part of his guard once he was King.

"Well, I...I didn't want to leave your side. I wanted to be worthy of being in your guard, worthy of protecting you!" he said, clenching his fists in determination. "And...if I present as an Omega, Gladio says I have to undergo more training, so I can control myself during heats and what not," he explained. "It took me a year and a half to complete the main course, that's where I've been all those times I disappeared...and came back with all those cuts and bruises," he chuckled. "I didn't mean to make you worry, I just...wanted to impress and surprise you! You saved my life, and...I wanna do anything I can to protect yours!"

Noctis felt his heart pound in his chest. All this time, Prompto had been working himself silly, just to impress him, just to stay by his side? He could barely find the words to express how relieved, how thrilled, and how overwhelmed he was.

"B-But I still want to be...your mate," he mumbled. "L-like we promised!" he said. "I just...also wanted to be...a capable mate, someone who you're proud to have by your side," he whispered, glancing down. "If I do present as an Omega, I'll do the extra training too!" he said, his voice filled with determination. It was true, Omegas weren't usually part of the guard, not without undergoing extensive training, but Noctis was certain that if anyone could do it, Prompto could. Prompto was already doing so much for them to stay together, when Noctis had done absolutely nothing to express how much he needed the blond.

Reaching forward, Noctis grabbed Prompto's hands and leaned towards him, pressing their lips together in an awkward smash. Prompto's ears stood straight up, and his eyes widened as he leaned back, accepting the surprise kiss. Noctis' lips were forceful, but warm, and Prompto slowly let his eyes flutter shut, pushing against the prince's lips.

Pulling back, Noctis felt his stomach flip-flop pleasantly, and it took all of his willpower to not kiss Prompto again, and kiss him all over. Pursing his lips, he wrapped his arms around him. "I'll always be proud of you Prom," he whispered. "I'll never be ashamed of who or what you are, so...you're not allowed to be either!"

Gripping Noctis tight, Prompto wrapped his fists in the back of Noctis' shirt. "I love you, Noctis," he whispered.

"I love you too, Prom," Noctis whispered, nuzzling his nose against Prompto's neck. In that moment, forever had never felt like more of a possibility.

~~

The pain was excruciating. His stomach felt as though it were about to explode, and his wrists throbbed, a heat wracking his body as he fell to his knees. His pulse rolled through his neck, sharp pangs hitting against his chest and spine, as though someone were stabbing a knife into his skin over and over.

He must've cried out at some point, though the noise disappeared from his ears, the pain throbbing throughout his body so that all he could hear was the painful beat of his pulse.

"Prom? PROMPTO!" Noctis yelled, rushing to his friend's side as Prompto trembled on the palace floor.

"N-Noct..." he grunted, lurching forward, his hands trembling as his nails scratched against the ground. He couldn't speak. Even saying Noctis' name had felt foreign on his tongue, a struggle to push forth from his mouth.

"What's wrong?" Noctis asked, hurriedly. "What...What can I do to help you!? What's going on!?" Looking frantically around, Noctis searched for someone, anyone familiar. "IGNIS! GLADIO!" he called out, desperate to find help.

"N-Noctis...h-hot.." Prompto whispered, reaching forward to try and grab onto any part of the Prince. His hands trembled, sweat rolling down his back.

Reaching forward, Noctis touched Prompto's skin which felt as though it were on fire. "Damn," he hissed, trying to find a way to untie Prompto's robes. The clothes were only going to make it worse, he didn't want his best friend to suffocate. But it was practically impossible, as Prompto's body thrashed against the ground. "Prompto you gotta-"

Noctis began to speak, trying to get through to his friend as Prompto's body lurched back and he sat up on his knees, his neck dropping back. His black markings, which were meant to appear upon his wrists, curled over his skin, wrapping over his neck as they trailed down his shoulders and arms before they settled in their rightful place, wrapping around his pale skin a few times to create the pattern of a Beta. A Beta. Prompto was to be a Beta. Noctis felt his heart sink.

He knew it wasn't right, to be sad about what his friend was going to be, but being a Beta meant Prompto wouldn't _need_ to take a mate, and therefore Noctis' father would see no reason to allow them to mate. Plus, he was a little jealous Prompto had presented before him, though he knew this wasn't the time.

He couldn't focus on himself or the future right now, Prompto was in pain, twitching with his head still tilted back, his eyes glistening with tears. Was it really meant to hurt so terribly? He knew it was supposed to be uncomfortable, but as far as Noctis had heard, it generally hurt against the wrists, not a person's entire body. And yet Prompto...

"Prom?" Noctis whispered, as his body had seemingly started to calm. Noctis could see the gentle rise and fall of Prompto's chest, his convulsions finally ceasing.

Suddenly, a scream erupted from Prompto's lips, his body twitching more, and Noctis fell backwards from the sheer shock of it. New black markings began to twist around his neck, this time they traveled up to Prompto's freckled cheeks, only to fall back down his arms, wrapping around his wrists, adding to the Beta design. This design was that of an Omega, layering directly under the Beta markings. The two began to intertwine, the thorny black lines twisting tightly around his friend's wrists.

"What...the" Noctis muttered, watching as Prompto's blue eyes rolled into the back of his head, and he flopped forward, collapsing on the ground. "IGNIS!" Noctis yelled again, his heart pounding in his chest.

Was Prompto dead? He reached forward to check his pulse, but he pulled back too nervous to touch the new marks which sat upon Prompto's pale wrists. How the hell was Prompto able to present as both an Omega and a Beta? He'd never heard of someone having two markings? What the hell did it mean? And was Prompto okay? It seemed he had passed out completely, his fingers twitching against the floor.

Noctis pressed his fingers to Prompto's neck, his pulse still alive, and racing. So he wasn't dead, at least not yet. Could a person's body handle presenting as two classes? He had to get him to the infirmary and fast. Slowly, he began to wrap his arms around Prompto's chest, attempting to lift him up poorly.

"Noct?!" Ignis called out, running down the hall. "Are you alright? I heard screaming and-"

"It's Prompto!" he said, the urgency in his voice palpable. Though Ignis didn't take long to recognize the dire situation.

Leaning down, he lifted the smaller boy up, placing him on his back. Prompto's cheek was crushed against Ignis' back, his body limp and immobile. "Come along, we have to get him to the infirmary. What happened?" Ignis asked, wasting no time to carry Prompto down the hall.

"I...I don't know!" Noctis said quickly, shaking his head, tears threatening to slip from his eyes. "He p-presented but...it was weird..." Noctis whispered, his ears folding back against his hair. He couldn't take his dark eyes off of his best friend.

"Weird how?" Ignis asked. Prompto's hands were swinging limping over his shoulders, but Ignis was walking so quickly he didn't dare stop to look.

"He...presented as a Beta, but then he screamed really loud and presented as an Omega too," Noctis explained, striding as wide as he could to keep up with Ignis' fast pace.

"Pardon?" Ignis said, stopping in his tracks. He moved one of his hands to lift Prompto's wrist. The markings were as clear as day, two rows, intertwined. One was the thorny black markings of an Omega, the other the gentle wave of a Beta, the two thick lines swirling around each other, crisscrossing. "What...is...this?" Ignis whispered, but immediately resumed his brisk walk.

"I don't know..." Noctis whispered, his voice trembling.

"We need to lay him down right away, and I will inform King Regis immediately-"

"NO!" Noctis yelled, freezing in place. "We don't have to tell my dad..." he muttered. "It's probably just...something weird about foxes. Maybe they present as two things...I mean we don't know much about them..." The longer he talked, the more ridiculous the whole idea sounded. The Wolves of Lucis had long standing traditions regarding presenting, and though the Rabbits of Tenebrae and the Swans of Altissa were different, they still upheld similar traditions. None of them ever mentioned presenting as multiple classes, and from what little they did know of the Foxes of Niflheim, Noctis was certain this was not what typically happened.

"Noctis don't be ridiculous. Your father might be able to _help_ Prompto. We don't know if something is seriously wrong," Ignis said, his voice soft but serious.

Noctis simply nodded, unable to respond. He knew Ignis was correct, but the back of his mind kept tugging at him. He couldn't bear it if his father took Prompto away. What if he looked at this as some weird Niflheim plot, and kicked Prompto out of the palace? He clenched his fists, his tail raising in anger. He wouldn't let that happen, no matter what anyone said. Prompto was his Royal Best Friend, and his promised mate. No matter what his strange markings meant, Noctis wasn't going to go back on that.

Arriving at the infirmary, Ignis placed Prompto down on the bed, leaving Noctis alone with the doctor as he went to retrieve the King. Noctis, however, stood by Prompto's side, taking his hand in his own and squeezing it tightly.

"Young Master," the doctor began. "If you don't mind, I need you to back up so I can look at your friend. Is that alright?"

Noctis' dark gaze flicked to the side, his ears laying flat in frustrations. "Okay," he muttered, stepping back, away from Prompto.

It seemed to take the doctor forever to look over the small fox, and Noctis sat in the chair by the side impatiently. His legs swinging back and forth. He watched as the doctor brushed his thumbs over Prompto's marks, trying to make sense of why he had two.

"It's very odd indeed," the man muttered. "I don't see anything physically wrong with him. I can imagine he passed out from the pain of presenting twice, so he should wake up soon. He can stay here until he feels rested. Once he wakes up, we can get a better understanding of how he's feeling and what's going on."

Frowning, Noctis immediately scooted forward to take Prompto's hand again, waiting for as long as he had to for the other to wake up.

~~

"Noct." His name sounded gentle, and he felt a soft pressure against his hand. Jerking up, he realized he'd fallen asleep against the bed, and Prompto had woken him. Prompto...he was awake?!

"Prom!" Noctis said, his ears standing on end, his body completely alert. "You're alright?!" Noctis leaned forward, about to lunge onto the other boy. He stopped himself at the last minute, however, not wishing to hurt his best friend.

"I...I think so..." Prompto whispered, pushing himself up to sit normally in the bed. "What...happened?" he asked, his voice hoarse and gravelly. "I remember my neck hurting and my head and my wrists...really everything hurt," he said, letting out a small laugh.

"You presented," Noctis began, "twice."

Prompto's ears folded down, his brow furrowing. "What?" he said, his head shaking. "Twice? That's impossible-" He cut himself off, and slowly began to raise his wrist up.

Apparently, Noctis wasn't wrong. On his wrists sat the two markings, one the thick thorny lines of an Omega, and the other the waves of a Beta. The two intertwined quite interestingly, but it also looked so wrong, disgusting. Just another reason for Prompto to not belong. "How..." he said, softly, his voice trembling as tears threatened to roll down his cheeks. "This...isn't possible," Prompto whispered. Wrapping his fingers around his wrist, he tried to cover it, but realized he could see the markings just fine on his other wrist.

"So..." Noctis said hesitantly. "This isn't something normal with foxes?"

Prompto shook his head. "No. No it's not normal at all."

How was he a Beta and an Omega? Was he actually _both_? It seemed impossible...

Pressing his palms against his eyes, he felt the tears begin to roll down his cheeks, whether he wanted them to or not. "I'm...I'm not normal at all."

All his life he'd known he was out of place here in Lucis. Being a fox wasn't exactly something he could hide, and now, for some bizarre reason he’d presented as both an Omega and a Beta. Which one was he?

Noctis' hand grabbed one of Prompto's pulling it away from his face. "Of course you're normal. This doesn't change anything about who you are!" Noctis said, determination glistening in his eyes. Prompto knew he would never understand Noctis, how he was so caring, so forgiving, never quick to judge. How had he found the most perfect best friend in the world, and why did Noctis care about him, and _like_ him so much?

He'd stop trying to understand years ago. When all the others in the palace questioned Prompto's place, questioned his very existence, Noctis would intertwine their hands, stand his ground and fight to prove Prompto belonged at his side. And for awhile, Prompto had begun to believe it. He believed the lie that he could live with the wolves and act as though nothing was wrong, and it was completely normal.

But now...now he felt like even more of a freak, and yet here stood Noctis, his prince, standing by his side, unwavering.

"Noct..." he whispered. "It's...still weird. You have to admit, it's not normal."

Noctis let out a small giggle. "So who cares if it's normal?" he smiled. "And hey, if you're really that nervous about it, just pick a color for your wristlets and wear them. No one has to know."

He wasn't entirely wrong, and Prompto nodded, staring at the strange markings on his hands. "I guess you're right," he whispered. If Noctis didn't care, he was the only person that really mattered.

"You know," Noctis grumbled, his hand rubbing at his still bare wrist. "I'm kinda jealous. I told you you'd present before me," he snorted, turning his nose up, his tail swishing back and forth.

Prompto couldn't help but laugh. "I didn't do it on purpose! And hey, you can have one of mine," he grinned, touching the back of his wrist to Noctis'. Already he felt better, Noctis was some sort of mood miracle worker, at least for Prompto.

"If only that was how it worked," he grunted, shaking his head.

"Noctis. Prompto."

Prompto felt his heart skip a beat when King Regis stepped into the room. His large ears flicked back and forth quickly, his dark gaze falling upon his son. With each step, he commanded power, and his form held a dignity Prompto had never witnessed in another person before. It was a little hard to believe Noctis would one day assume this man's position.

"I came the moment Ignis explained the situation to me. Are you both alright?"

"Fine," Noctis said, swishing his tail back and forth. Prompto felt his hand grow a bit clammy, and it was clear Noctis was nervous about speaking to his father. "Nothing really happened to me," he explained.

"I see." The man knelt down besides Prompto's bed. "And you, little fox?" he asked.

Prompto blushed, glancing towards Noctis as he couldn't bring himself to meet eyes with King Regis. "I'm okay now," he mumbled.

"Show me your wrists," he said. "There's no need to be worried," he chuckled softly, clearly noting Prompto's darting pupils. "I won't be hurting you, or sending you away from my son. I'm not a fool, and I can see how important you are to him. It is important for him to have such a close companion during these crucial years of his life. Still, I need to see your wrists," he finished.

Prompto bit his lip, turning towards the King as he gently placed both of his wrists in the man's palm.

His large thumbs brushed over Prompto's wrists, and Noctis leaned forward, his ears twitching as he tried to focus on what his father was doing.

"A Perfect Omega," Regis said finally, his voice soft. "I've never seen one. I've only heard whispers of it. I didn't know it was actually possible."

"Eh?" Prompto asked softly, glancing at his wrists against Regis' large hands. "A Perfect Omega? I'm not perfect. What does that mean?" he begged, desperate for answers.

Regis chuckled softly, letting Prompto's wrists fall back to the bed. "Listen to me Prompto. You must not tell anyone who or what you are. I will give you Omega wristlets and you will wear those. I need to do more research before I know anything else for certain, but can you promise me this is what you'll do."

Prompto's ears folded down against his head. "But I still don't know what this means-"

"From what very little I have heard, being a Perfect Omega means your Beta mark masks your scent until your heat, then you produce an incredibly irresistible scent, making you...extremely fertile," King Regis trailed off. "I do not know all the details, but Ignis will be researching this immediately.

A Perfect Omega? Extreme fertile? Nothing made sense any longer. Why would _he_ of all people...

"But you _must_ promise me, Prompto," Regis continued. "We will not be holding a Presenting Ceremony for you, and I'll be having your Omega wristlets made immediately-"

"Wait! Why Omega?" he asked, his ears folding downwards as he pouted.

"You will still experience heats, therefore you must wear bronze wristlets, and you have to keep them on at all times. Do not speak of what you really are to anyone. Do you understand?" he asked, taking Prompto's hand to squeeze it.

Glancing from Noctis to King Regis, Prompto felt his heart sink. Noctis had told him it would be normal, and yet here he was, hiding who he was. At least he could keep his marks hidden, unlike his fox ears and tail.

Turning his gaze towards the bed, he let his wrists fall into his lap. "I promise," he whispered, knowing he would've promised anything if it meant getting to stay by Noctis' side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So finally getting to the main stuff in this story, these next couple chapters are leading up the sort of...twist I guess? I apologize if the pacing seems slow! But hopefully everyone continues to enjoy this story. I'm really blown away by the sweet responses I've gotten and the amount of kudos, so thank you guys! I hope you like this chapter! Also it was unbetaed so hopefully there aren't too many typos! Thank you for all your support!


	4. Chapter 4

"Iggy, it's been hours since you left the library," Gladio sighed, leaning against the door. "What the hell are ya' doin'?"

Pushing his glasses up, Ignis sighed, turning around to stare at the older Alpha. "Gladio," he muttered. "Come inside and shut the door."

Gladio raised his eyebrow, staring at the other for a moment. Ignis had his quirks, yes, but the strange way he turned around, looking for others to possibly pop out from behind Gladio was odd. He stepped further inside, shutting the door behind him.

"What the hell is wrong with ya'?" Gladio asked, folding his arms.

Ignis slammed the book shut, standing up. He pulled up his gloves, waggling his fingers around as he adjusted them under his silver wristlets. "King Regis informed me I wasn't to tell anyone about this, but since you've worked closely with Prompto, and you are an unmated Alpha, I believe you should know about this."

"Hah?" Gladio asked, his ear twitching slightly. "What about the kid?"

"He presented," Ignis began, but Gladio cut him off with a hearty laugh.

"Before our Prince?" he snorted. "Noct must be _thrilled_!" Ignis cleared his throat, and Gladio immediately stopped his laughter. "Right, continue, please," he said, gesturing with his hand.

"He presented twice," Ignis said finally, but didn't continue speaking, expecting the reaction which slipped from Gladio's mouth.

"The _hell_?!" he growled, his tail swishing in frustration. The tall Alpha huffed out a large breath of air, blinking as he processed the information. "Is that even possible?"

"Apparently..." Ignis replied. "I am certain this will not surprise you, but it originated with Niflheim."

"'Course," Gladio scoffed.

"It has to do with genetic manipulation," Ignis explained. "There was a project which tried to make people capable of shifting which class they were. So it was meant to allow people to assume the class of Alpha, Beta and Omega, changing what class they were at will. However, the project failed. They were only able to manipulate people into presenting twice instead of three times. Additionally, it only seemed to work with Betas. For instance, they could get Betas to present as a Beta and either an Omega or Alpha, but if someone were to present as an Alpha they couldn't also be an Omega."

"Those damn Niffs," Gladio muttered, gritting his teeth. "What the hell is the point of that?!"

Ignis placed his finger on his chin. "The motive is unclear." He sighed, "It seems Prompto's heats will be quite intense, though up until he hits his heat, the Beta markings will hide his scent completely. However, the moment he's in heat, he will smell dangerously _irresistible_ to people like you," Ignis said. "Which is why I thought you should know, since you will be spending a great deal of time training him. Noctis tells me Prompto has been training in secret with you?"

"Mmm," Gladio muttered. "He was, yeah."

"Was?" Ignis asked, tilting his head.

"If he's an Omega...one that has intense heats, it will make his training even more difficult. I dunno if he can handle it. That fox has surprised me before, so I don't wanna say I'm givin' up on him, but..." Gladio muttered, trailing off.

"I see..." Ignis hummed. "I think he would be quite disappointed if you gave up on him now. He seems rather determined to be by Noctis' side," he paused, "Which is also something worrisome, in regards to his class."

"Because of the heats?" Gladio asked.

Ignis nodded sagely. "I'm concerned Noctis will be unable to control himself around Prompto when he is in heat, once Noctis assumes his Alpha status that is."

"He might be fine," Gladio said, though the words felt forced. The two were practically inseparable, only splitting up when Noctis had to deal with his princely duties, and Prompto felt the need to train.

"Mmm," Ignis hummed, knowing that probably wouldn't be the case. "The most bizarre part is...the project shouldn't exist anymore. Years ago, before King Regis' time even, the World Council found out about the project and asked Niflheim to stop. On record, the project appears to be dead, however, Prompto would suggest otherwise."

"So they continued in secret," Gladio said, stating the very obvious truth.

"Indeed," Ignis hummed. The more he'd researched about 'Perfect Omegas', the more concerned he grew with Prompto's situation, and the longer he spent looking for a way to possibly change Prompto's class. "I thought perhaps there would be a way to rid his body of one of the classes, but it seems all manipulations happen before presenting takes place. Once a person has presented, their class is permanent. No one has ever been able to change that," Ignis muttered.

"So he's going to be both an Omega and a Beta for his whole life?" Gladio said, more a statement than a question.

"It would seem so. I do worry about how this will affect their friendship, they're both so attached, and Noctis would be devastated if something happened and-"

"Iggy," Gladio said, stepping forward. He placed a gentle hand on Ignis' shoulder, squeezing it tight. "It's gonna be okay. I know it's basically your job to worry about the Prince, but he and Prompto are going to be okay. They'll figure it out. We're all going to figure this out."

Ignis let out a long sigh, his breath trailing off as he raised his gaze towards Gladio's. "You're right. For now, I need to inform the King of my findings."

"'Course. I'll go with ya'," Gladio said, opening the door.

"Thank you Gladio," Ignis said, bowing his head slightly. "I can always count on you to calm me," he chuckled. "And...admittedly it was nice to speak of all my findings out loud before speaking to the King.

"Anytime, Iggy," he smirked, taking a step back as they headed out of the room. "You know, sometimes I wish you were an Omega."

"I beg your pardon?" Ignis said, freezing in place.

"I dunno, it'd be...cute to see you all affected by scents and what not," he chuckled. "Don't look so offended."

A gentle pink color painted Ignis' cheeks, and he clutched his notebook tightly to his chest. "Gladiolus," he said, his gaze staring towards the ground. "I...am a Scientia, to be an Omega would be unheard of. As the first male born to the Amicitias, you would be offended if I suggested you be anything _but_ an Alpha."

Gladio snorted, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah, yeah, I know. I was just teasin' ya'. You don't gotta be so serious," he chuckled, his ears twitching down against his head. Admittedly, some of his thoughts about Ignis weren't the most pure, but after Ignis' reaction to his Omega comment, Gladio assumed it was better to keep any feelings he had to himself. He would never be able to officially mate with Ignis, even if he could mark him. And knowing Ignis, he'd not do anything of the sort, not when he had the Prince to worry about.

The prince's Beta was meant to be there for _all_ the prince's needs, and since Prompto was an Omega, Ignis would be the Beta to watch after Noctis in any way he needed. Meaning he would not be allowed to officially mate until Noctis took his own mate. Actually, Noctis would probably be spending more time with Ignis than he realized.

Gladio doubted Ignis minded, not when he'd been trained and prepared for this his entire life. Still, Gladio wanted Ignis to experience other parts of life, relationships, etc. He was 16, and yet he acted as though he was an old man well into his 60s. Ignis needed to loosen up, have fun. Really when it came down to it, Gladio wouldn't have minded sharing with the Prince. Not in this case.

"A-Anyway, teasing aside," Ignis said, clearing his throat, as though he had read Gladio's mind. "I need to head to the throne room. King Regis will surely be awaiting this information, I know he wanted it as soon as possible."

Ignis' footsteps echoed in the hallway as he carried his notebook towards the throne room, his tail swishing gently back and forth with each step he took. Gladio followed closely behind, his boots making a heavier sound than Ignis. Ignis had spent the majority of his week looking for and gathering information on Prompto's...condition, and he was very determined to share the information he'd learned with the King.

"Did you sleep at all?" Gladio asked, breaking the awkward silence which floated between them.

"Ah just a bit here and there," Ignis said.

Clicking his tongue, Gladio rolled his eyes. "Look, I know you have a very strong sense of obligation, but it's important you get rest yourself, idiot." He gently hit his hand against Ignis' back. "You won't be much help to the King and Prince if you're sleep deprived."

"Noted," Ignis muttered stopping outside the throne room door.

It didn't take long for Ignis to explain everything he had learned to King Regis. He stood in front of the man, Gladio behind him, as he read from the notes he'd taken in his notebook, repeating much of the information he had already shared with Gladio.

"Hmm..." Regis said. "It is as I suspected. Niflheim most likely never stopped their program. Maybe they simply moved it to a different location. Furthermore, it's been ages since the program was issued a cease and desist, and yet all this time they've still been conducting experiments? We don't know what progress they've made and what changes have occurred. We don't know what this means for Prompto."

"You are correct, Your Majesty," Ignis began. "However, Prompto only presented as two, so their initial goal to create someone capable of all three classes seems to still be out of reach."

"As far as we know, yes," Regis said. "But we don't know if that is still their goal..." The King rubbed his forehead, his eyes glancing down at Ignis. "I need a more watchful eye kept on Prompto and my son. I mostly need someone watching over Prompto. Gladiolus, since you are here and aware of the situation, I would ask you to keep an eye on them, along with Ignis." King Regis bowed his head to both of the teens. "I do not wish to split the two boys up, but if it comes to that...my son's safety and the safety of our Kingdom does come first."

"I understand," Ignis said softly, bowing his head.

"I trust you both to watch over them. I hope I am worrying over nothing," Regis sighed.

"It is a very strange circumstance," Ignis mused. "Though I do hope drastic measures won't need to be taken. We will watch out for both of them."

"I am praying for the same. I do thank you for your hard work, Ignis. I leave my son's safety in your hands."

Both of the teens bowed to the King. "Of course, Your Majesty," Ignis said, praying the worst would not happen.

~~

When Noctis finally presented, it wasn't nearly as thrilling as Prompto. Sure, it had hurt, his wrists felt itchy and pained, and he'd watched as the black fiery lines of the Alpha markings curled around his wrists. His fingers trembled from the pain, and he collapsed to his knees, his legs slamming against the floor.

"Noct!" Prompto said, placing a hand on his shoulder to steady him as he stood back up. "You presented!" he cheered.

Blinking, Noctis turned his wrists around, his ears folding downwards. "I guess I did."

"Lemme see!" Prompto said, leaning over the Prince's shoulder to glance at the markings. "Alpha. Just like you thought!"

"No surprise," Noctis mumbled, and he slowly turned around, feeling Prompto slide off of his back slowly. His fox ears fell to his head, his tail swishing against the ground. "Ah...Prom...I didn't mean I wanted...a surprise..."

"No, no!" he said, his fingers running over his bronze wristlet. His ears perked up quickly, and he shook his head. "I know what you meant. But Noct, do you...not wanna be an Alpha?"

The dark-haired boy shrugged. "I always knew I'd be this and nothing else. So it doesn't really matter," he said.

"Gotcha," Prompto said quietly. It was strange, Noctis had presented, quickly, and without any drama. He'd always known what he was going to be, and though Prompto didn't like the fact that he was apparently both a Beta and an Omega, he wasn't sure he'd like knowing what he was meant to be from the get go. Something about planning his entire life, knowing his fate all along, made him feel uneasy. Based on Noctis' flat expression, Prompto was certain his best friend felt the same.

"Guess I better tell Ignis, and my Dad," he said, slowly rising. Prompto clung to his arm, holding him up as Noctis stumbled, falling into the other. "Man, you really don't smell like an Omega," Noctis said, pressing his nose against Prompto's shoulder. He felt his tail stand on end; it was true, he didn't smell like an Omega, but the moment Noctis said that, Prompto was hit by the intense Alpha scent of Noctis. His pupils dilated, and he took a step back.

"C-C'mon Noct, you don't even know what an Omega smells like! You just presented," he teased. Though he knew Noctis probably would've been able to smell his scent right away, as he had been hit with Noctis' new Alpha scent immediately.

Noctis' brow furrowed, his knees finally steadying as he stood up straight, his tail moving back and forth. "Are you okay, Prompto?" His best friend wasn't exactly subtle when it came to his reactions and facial expressions, the blond was incredibly easy to read.

Prompto swallowed, his ears folding down as he glanced away. "S-Sorry Noct," he said, wringing his hands together. Noctis noticed Prompto's hands slide up to his bronze wristlets, a nervous tick he'd developed over the past month. It seemed he didn't enjoy wearing them, or perhaps he was more uncomfortable with the color? Noctis hadn't asked, and if Prompto wasn't offering the information up on his own, it usually meant he didn't want to talk about it, especially since the blond was usually such an open book.

"Why are you apologizing?" Noctis asked, tilting his head.

"It's just...I wasn't expecting your scent...and it threw me off a little bit," he said finally.

"My...scent?" Noctis whispered, his nose twitching as he sniffed at the air.

Prompto let out a loud laugh. "You can't smell yourself Noct!" he chuckled. "Don't worry," he said, wiping his eye. "You don't smell bad..."

"So do I smell good then?" he smirked, leaned forwards towards Prompto.

The fox's ears turned upwards, his blue eyes widening as he stared down at Noctis' smug looking grin. "W-Well," he cleared his throat, "u-uh...yeah!" The second the words left his mouth, Prompto's face turned bright red, and a shiver ran down his spine. "Actually," he said, turning his blue eyes towards the ceiling, his teeth pulling on his lower lip. "Uhm...you smell really good?" he said finally.

"Good," Noctis hummed, stepping back. "Well, better than bad I guess," he snorted.

"No!" Prompto said quickly, waving his hands in front of him. "You definitely don't smell bad!" he urged, but Noctis couldn't help but laugh.

"Prom, calm down, it was just a joke," he said, folding his arms in front of him as his tail moved slowly.

Prompto sighed, his body deflating with his movement. "Jeeze Noct! Sometimes when you do your deadpan thing it's hard to tell!" he admitted, following after him as Noctis began to walk down the hall.

"Sorry," Noctis shrugged, "I figured as the Royal Best Friend, you could figure it out by now."

"H-Hey!" Prompto said, hurrying to catch up. "I usually can! I was just...flustered!"

Noctis let out a small laugh, sniffing the air. It was so bizarre that Prompto had absolutely no scent. He knew that was the case with Betas but Prompto was both, and yet there was absolutely nothing that told Noctis Prompto was any part Omega.

"You really don't smell like an Omega at all," Noctis muttered, glancing to his side.

Prompto's gaze was fixated on his bronze wristlets. The King had told him to wear the bronze Omega bands since eventually he would hit heats, but it seemed so useless. Perhaps because his first heat hadn't exactly hit yet, but everyone who knew about his...peculiar situation had currently noted Prompto had absolutely no scent whatsoever.

"Which...isn't a big deal or anything," Noctis mumbled quickly.

"Yeah, it's probably for the best right?" Prompto chuckled, his voice hushed and quiet.

Noctis clenched his hands, looking at the marks moving with the muscles of his hands. Prompto didn't deserve to feel like this, so out of place and awkward. Turning towards him abruptly, he grabbed his hands, pushing up the cuffs to reveal the strange double markings.

"Noct! W-What are you-"

"Prom...you gotta know these don't matter. I don't care what you are, or what you smell like, okay?" Noctis said, wrapping his fingers around Prompto's bare wrists. A smile pulled across Noctis' lips. "You're still my Royal Best Friend," he grinned. "And future mate," he added quickly, his words mumbling together.

A wide smile appeared on Prompto's face as he nodded to Noctis. "Okay, okay, I'll try and remember that," he giggled, his tail wagging happily.

"Yeah," Noctis said, pulling the bronze bands back down, over his marks. "These don't define who you are or anything, okay?"

"Right," Prompto laughed again, the two boys squeezing each other's hands tightly.

"Boys," Ignis' voice cut through their laughter, and he approached the two, a gentle smile on his face. "Glad to see you two are having an enjoyable morning," he chuckled.

"Iggy!" Prompto cheered, stepping back as he held up one of Noctis' wrists. "Noctis presented!"

"H-Hey!" Noctis said, trying to break free from Prompto's grasp, his cheeks heating up.

"What?" Prompto retorted, letting Noctis' hand drop to his side. "You were gonna show him anyway!"

"Well, yeah!" Noctis said, his ears folding down against his head as his fingers covered up one of his wrists. It was a futile effort, there was no way Ignis hadn't seen.

"Noctis! When did you present?" Ignis asked, stepping forward to take Noctis' hand into his own, looking at the markings on his wrist. "Alpha, just as expected," he smiled. "You must be quite proud!"

Noctis turned his eyes towards the floor, his ears flattening yet again. "Yeah, proud," he mumbled.

"It happened just now!" Prompto smiled, looking excited for his best friend, though he knew Noctis was less than excited. He'd have to deal with his father, and his Presenting Ceremony too. It was a large mess Prompto knew Noctis was not interested in dealing with.

"Splendid!" Ignis said. "Come along, we must speak with your father immediately."

As they walked through the hall, Ignis continued to talk about preparations for the Presenting Ceremony, and what exactly Noctis should expect. Anyone who had not presented wasn’t allowed to attend Presenting Ceremonies, and thus Noctis had never attended one. Apparently, there were some wolves who had been prepping for Noctis' for quite some time now, even before he'd hit the appropriate presenting age. Being a prince was an odd thing it seemed, or so Prompto had come to realize over his time being in the palace.

Opening the door to the throne room, Ignis stepped inside first. "Your son has some news for you, Your Majesty," he bowed, Noctis walking inside. (Prompto proceeded to bow as well, but it took him a moment to remember, and he lowered himself in a rather flustered manner, his tail swinging about awkwardly.)

Holding his wrist up, he glanced away from his father. "I presented."

King Regis stood up, making his way towards his son. He bent down to look at his wrist. "It seems you did," he smiled. "An Alpha, just as we thought. Ignis will bring your gold wristlets to your room, and we will begin the preparations for your Ceremony."

Noctis' lips grew thin as he pressed them together tightly. His small fist clenched at his side and Prompto could tell Noctis wasn't prepared for the whirlwind of events which awaited him.

~~

Gladio's arms were folded as he stared down at the smaller boy. His ears were flat against his head, his tail dropping, and his large blue eyes would occasionally glance up towards the Alpha wolf, terrified to hear what Gladio had to say exactly.

"Kid, you know why I called you here," Gladio began, and Prompto shrugged his shoulders. Gladio had caught on to the fact that Prompto was avoiding him. He'd seen the fox practicing on the course a few times, but it always seemed to be at times when Gladio had other trainees to deal with, or things he was working on for the King.

Gladio's golden eyes flicked towards the bronze wristlets, and he shut his eyes sighing. Prompto was possibly one of the most transparent creatures he'd ever met. Were all foxes from Niflheim like this?

"We gotta start your Omega training. You wanna be a part of the guard for Noctis' Presenting Ceremony, right?" Gladio asked, watching as Prompto's face slowly lit up, his tail began to wag and he raised his fists with determination.

"Of course!" he said, his voice filled with enthusiasm.

"Good," Gladio hummed, a smirk twisting onto his lips. "So no more avoidin' me," Gladio scolded, and the blond immediately blushed.

"So...you noticed?" he squeaked.

"'Course. You train harder than anyone, you think I really wouldn't notice you were gone?"

Rubbing the back of his neck, Prompto giggled shyly. "Well, I dunno. A lot of people here ignore me, or try to at least."

Gladio sighed, reaching forward to ruffle his hair. "Not everyone." Clearing his throat, Gladio pulled back his hand, and pulled down on his jacket. "Anyway, Iggy already told me all about your...special situation."

With that, Prompto took a step back, immediately hiding his hands behind his back. "He...did?"

Gladio nodded. "You don't gotta be worried. Actually, this works to your advantage," he began.

"Really?"

Another nod. "Mmm," he grunted, sniffing at the air. What Ignis had said had been true it seemed, Prompto didn't have much of a scent, just as Ignis, a true Beta, had absolutely no scent either. "You don't smell like anything."

"Yeah, that's what Noct said," he mumbled.

"But apparently, you smell really damn strong when you're in heat. Which remains to be seen of course," Gladio continued. "We're not going to know for sure until you actually experience a heat and we can see how your body reacts." Gladio's large tail swished about pensively. "At the very least, you can monitor when your heats are and hideaway during that time. Hopefully you won't have to worry about having a heat just yet, and you don't smell anything like an Omega now, so there's no risk," he explained, letting out a long breath once he was done.

"True!" Prompto gasped. Bringing his hands back around, he stared at the bronze cuffs, for once not feeling any sort of hatred towards them. He was still an outsider, strange, but at least it had finally worked in his favor.

"Alright, now that we've settled that," Gladio said, stretching forward with his arms, rotating his neck around. "I can let you know how this is all gonna work."

"Okay!" Prompto replied eagerly, his tail wagging back and forth as he hopped up and down excitedly.

"You're not old enough to actually be a part of the guard. Ya' gotta be 16 to do that, but we can say you're a junior member in training," Gladio smirked. "I know you wanna be there for your best friend's Presenting Ceremony."

"Yeah, of course!" Prompto said, still looking excited.

"We line up first. Since I'm the leader of the Guard, I'll be at the front of the line and you'll be at the back, since you're the youngest. Noctis will come out, his father will give a speech and present him with his wristlets, and Noctis will walk down a long aisle and once he walks by you, you shift to your fox form. It’s just for show really, Noctis will be wearing the wristlets ahead of time, but everyone likes to make a big deal out of it," Gladio rambled. "So, think ya’ got it?"

Gladio's explanation was brief and a little bit stilted, but Prompto nodded his head slowly, trying to take it all in. "Got it" he said slowly.

"Do ya' really?" Gladio asked, raising his eyebrow. "I don't wanna go into too much detail or it'll ruin the whole thing for you. Just follow along and you'll be fine," he shrugged.

And though Prompto was a bit lost, he did want to see it for himself, experience everything about Noctis' Ceremony.

~~

With a large breath, Noctis attempted to adjust the long black robe Ignis had draped over his shoulders. The robes around his waist were tied tightly, and chains and ribbons of various colors draped over his arms and curled around his legs. The sleeves were only half length, leaving his wrists completely bare for the world to see, his fiery black markings standing out against his pale skin.

Ignis smoothed out Noctis' shoulders, adjusting the robe so it sat perfectly straight, draped over his chest. Noctis let out a grunt, his tail flicking back and forth. "Ignis, it looks fine."

"Noct, this Ceremony is important, you can't simply go out there looking a mess. You are the Crown Prince of Lucis, and while, yes, everyone has Presenting Ceremonies, this is _the_ Ceremony everyone has been looking forward to.

Noctis rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I get it."

Letting out a gentle sigh of air, Ignis smoothed out his own robes, tucking his long tunic into his waistband. "Alright. I'd say we are ready." Offering Noctis his arm, the Prince took it, walking slowly as Ignis led him out to the main courtyard.

As expected, Noctis' face paled upon seeing the crowd. It looked as though the whole kingdom was there to watch his ceremony. Cheers were heard once Noctis came into view, and a shiver ran down his spine, his bare wrists freezing in the winter cold. Thankfully the snow had held off for today, though the wind hadn't been as forgiving.

Making his way to the main pedestal, Ignis left his side, and Noctis stood, the wind gently blowing the ribbons from his headband and belt around. He had never been so thankful that he did not have to speak. Someday he would have to find a way to speak to these people, find a way to get them to trust he could be just as good of a leader as his father. It seemed impossible.

His throat felt dry, and the longer he kept his wrists bare, the colder her grew. He glanced to his side, noticing Gladio and the rest of the guards lining the side of the small staircase which led down to the balcony where he and his father would shift. Right by the balcony, he caught eyes with Prompto who winked, smiling at him. The edges of his mouth turned upwards, even from this distance Noctis could see Prompto's blue eyes twinkling, if he could've waved in that moment, he would've. He felt warmer, seeing Prompto standing so near. He was safe, protected.

King Regis' entrance was far more grand than Noctis'. His own personal Glaive followed him out in wolf form, protecting the King from any potential danger. He waved, pausing his minor procession to allow the crowd to cheer more, and far louder than they had for the Prince.

"Welcome all!" he called out, his voice booming and loud. Noctis was certain he couldn't talk that loud even if he tried. "I am proud to be here to honor my son, Noctis, now that he has finally presented!" Regis continued.

He walked towards Noctis, placing a hand on his head, as he stood on the pedestal. "Many of us have waited for this day, and just like the Kings who have come before him, Noctis has presented as an Alpha." With that, Noctis raised his wrists, showing the fiery markings which encircled his small limbs. It was a silly gesture, as really only the people in the direct vicinity could see, but he was told to do it anyway.

"Today, I am proud to adorn his wrists with these golden cuffs," Regis explained. "They have his initials carved into the side, as well as sun carvings, in hopes that you will be a ruler who carries the light of our kingdom with you always," Regis finished.

Slowly, Regis hooked the cuffs around Noctis' wrists, while he still held them in the air. "Noctis Lucis Caelum is now officially an Alpha!"

The crowd erupted, loud cheers could be heard and Noctis kept his wrists high in the air for everyone to see. The golden pattern glistened against the white winter sky, and Noctis felt a chill again.

"Come, my son," Regis said, gesturing for Noctis to walk first. As he descended down the stairs, his father followed, each of the guards shifting down into their wolf form once the Prince and King had passed. Noctis glanced to the side, his eyes catching Prompto just in time to see his body shake and twist down into its small fox form. Noctis couldn't help but chuckle, Prompto looked so small compared to the large dark wolves he was surrounded by.

"On the next hunt, Noctis will be allowed to join us. We will look forward to a prosperous hunt during the next full moon!" With his final statement, King Regis shifted down into his large, black wolf form, and Noctis followed to do the same, his body twisting down. His father nodded his head, and Noctis tilted his head back, letting out a long drawn out howl. After him, all the other wolves joined in for a choir of howls. Noctis was officially an adult now, which meant he had to start taking his responsibilities more seriously, and as he looked out into the massive crowd of wolves, he had absolutely no idea how he was going to ever rule them.

~~

Noctis was beautiful. It was a fact many seemed to know and recognize, but no one spoke about, but boy, oh boy, did Prompto wish he could speak about it. He would've talked for hours about how perfect Noctis' hair had looked during the Ceremony, how even with the wind, it had swept across his forehead just right, the ribbons curling down to his shoulders. He would've talked about the elegant way he walked, though knowing Noctis he was probably just walking slow because his clothes were so damn heavy.

But most of all, Prompto would've talked about how beautiful Noctis' deep blue eyes were. Even from the short distance between the two, Prompto could see how incredibly sharp and tense Noctis' eyes were. Their gazes met, and Prompto winked, smiling as wide he could. Anything to try and calm Noctis down.

Prompto knew he should've been listening to everything King Regis was saying, but he couldn't focus on his words when he was too busy focusing on his Prince. Hell, he didn't even notice how cold it was he was so lost in his own thoughts and observations of his best friend. Noctis' wrists were thin and pale, the black markings sticking out like a sore thumb until his father covered them with the absolutely gorgeous golden wristlets, custom made for Noctis. Perfect, for a prince.

It still made no sense to the fox boy, why Noctis chose to spend practically _all_ his free time with him, but Prompto was selfish and chose not to ask, too scared that asking would make Noctis realize his mistake, and leave Prompto behind.

He watched each step Noctis took, and he could see the fear in his eyes, and Prompto couldn't blame him, standing in front of such a large crowd of people with such high expectations. This wasn't so bad, but Prompto could only imagine Noctis' mind was focusing on all the other things he'd have to do in the future; giving speeches, leading large pack hunts...there were plenty of things Noctis would have to do as the future King of Lucis.

The two walked by finally, and Prompto shifted down, glancing around at all the far larger creatures surrounding him. It was one of the first times he'd been completely engulfed by other wolves and he felt his heart begin to race. They were so much larger than him, and he stuck out like a sore thumb. He crouched to the ground, his instincts kicking in, but he glanced forward, watching as Noctis shifted down to his own animal form.

The two large black wolves stood on the balcony, looking out onto the crowd. Noctis wasn't anywhere as close to as large as his father, but he stood majestically next to him, poised, ready to start howling. As he tilted his head back, the sound rang out, echoing across the open area. A shiver ran through Prompto's fur, but it wasn't because he was freezing, oh no, Noctis always made Prompto's stomach flip flop and his spine tingle.

The other wolves began to join in, and Prompto tilted his head back, opening his small mouth. And though his howl sounded nothing like a wolf, Prompto still cried out, wanting to give Noctis every last ounce of his support.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All this dramatic stuff is about to happen LOL I apologize for how slow burny this fic is, but I hope people are still enjoying it. I'm really loving writing this and writing for this fandom, thank you to all the lovely supportive people!! And thank you to my beta Adriana for reading this over as always :D <3 All your kudos and comments make my day!


	5. Chapter 5

Large boots clunked down the hall, each step deliberate and filled with an intensity Noctis wasn't used to. His father held a regal presence, but this man, this King of the Fox clan was...something else that was for sure.

His face held a smirk, his long robes swaying around his body with each step he took. His red ears twitched upon his head, and his large, fluffy tail swayed back and forth. He smelled odd too. Noctis wasn't sure if he was simply used to the smell Prompto gave off, or if his fox scent had disappeared completely, but this man, this clan leader, smelled of something completely different.

"Ardyn Izunia, leader of the Foxes of Niflheim," King Regis greeted, slowly standing to bow to the other man. Noctis lowered his head, but his gaze stared at the man who gave him such an uneasy feeling. "To what do I owe this...pleasure?" His father's voice was incredibly polite, but his ears flicked for brief moment, and Noctis could sense his father’s unease.

Niflheim and Lucis had been feuding for quite a long time, and for as long as Noctis could remember, it seemed as if Lucis and Niflheim were always on the brink of a war. Lucis would hear about Niflheim trying to take over territories and they'd either fight to take it back, or treaties would start to be discussed and Niflheim would back off, only to turn around and start the cycle all over again.

Now 16 years of age, Noctis was only starting to understand how his position would work once he took over for his father. He often spent his afternoons working with him on various "kingly" duties, as Prompto had labeled it once. It was...informative, but mostly Noctis wished he could've spent his afternoons with Prompto.

"King Regis, leader of the Wolves of Lucis...and I see you have your son here with you today. Perfect," he purred, his tail flicking back and forth. "Just the boy I wanted to see."

Him? Noctis glanced up towards his father, whose face was still. Noctis didn't say a word, and changed his gaze to stare at the large man who stood before his father's throne. What would the leader of the Foxes want with him?

Both Noctis and his father had been surprised when the guards had announced the presence of Ardyn Izunia, though he had come with only a few personal guards it had seemed, so Noctis assumed it wasn't any kind of attack. Niflheim's Foxes were known for their cunning ways, so Noctis thought it wouldn't be far too stupid of a plan to send their leader to attack with only a few men. Unless they had others on standby...

Noctis' eyes darted about the room, looking for some sign, any sign of others hiding, waiting to attack-

A laugh made Noctis' dark blue eyes turn back towards Ardyn. "Oh young wolf, you're not very subtle! But don't worry, I am simply here to have a discussion. It's been a long while since I've seen your father, and I don't believe I've properly introduced myself to you."

Noctis felt a growl threatening to rumble in his throat, but a hand from his father caused him to pull back.

"I wanted to come after your Presenting ceremony, but I had many obligations to my own clan at the time, so unfortunately I had to wait until now. I suppose it doesn't matter much, since you probably hadn't experienced any ruts until very recently."

Noctis' face lit up, his cheeks burning. What did this fox know about him and his personal ruts? It wasn't as though Noctis announced those to the general populous. Still, he stayed silent, unsure of what to say to the man.

"I find that highly inappropriate, Master Izunia," Regis said, stepping down from the first step slowly. "There's no reason to bring up my son's cycle."

"Ah, but you see, there is. I've heard many a rumor about your clan," he chuckled. "In fact, everyone is murmuring about a potential union between your son, Regis, and Lady Lunafreya from Tenebrae. Interesting. Wolves and little Bunnies joining together. Hard to imagine, don't you think?"

King Regis frowned. "Not at all. Not when Foxes are trying to sneak into the territory of the Rabbits. Something must be done to keep your kind at bay," he snapped. "And if you came here to convince me to break the union between my son and Lady Lunafreya, you will be sorely disappointed."

"That is too bad," Ardyn sighed, shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly. "And here I thought you'd be sympathetic to my cause, seeing as I've heard the Wolves of Lucis are quite fond of us Foxes, especially your son there."

"I don't think I quite understand what you're implying, Master Izunia," Regis said.

"Come now King Regis, everyone knows about the Fox boy you've kept hidden here for many years. Perhaps I could take him home to his rightful place."

There was no holding back the growl which erupted from Noctis' throat. "No one is taking Prompto. He's happy here."

"Oh? Have I struck a chord?" Ardyn said. "You don't wish for me to see your little friend? You don't wish for him to feel more comfortable around his own kind?"

Noctis let out a larger growl, his tail flicking angrily back and forth. Prompto was perfectly happy here, happy to be with Noctis. They were best friends! Who cared if Prompto was a fox? And as far as Noctis was concerned, Prompto was nothing like this guy.

"Noctis, hold your tongue," Regis hissed, recognizing his son was about to say something.

"I am simply playing," Ardyn held his hands up. "I would never take someone so dear to the Prince away from him. However, I would implore you to reconsider the union between Lady Lunafreya and your son. After all, wolves and foxes were meant to hunt rabbits," he grinned.

Regis frowned. "Is this all you came here for Master Izunia? Did you come here simply to ‘implore’ me?"

A small laugh left Ardyn's lips. "Perhaps. Or maybe I thought we would be able to join forces, since your son has such a love of foxes, I thought maybe that had carried over to you, but I see it has not," Ardyn continued.

"I assume you would like us to join forces and take over places like Tenebrae together." Regis glanced towards Noctis. And Noctis continued to flick his tail back and forth in frustration. He could imagine that even if they did join forces with Niflheim, it wouldn't mean anything good for Lucis in the long run. Ardyn Izunia didn't seem to be a man who stayed true to his word, and Noctis could sense a betrayal on the horizon.

"Ah King Regis, putting words into my mouth."

"Correct ones," Regis hummed. "I think this discussion here is done. My son has been promised to Lady Lunafreya, and I will be keeping it that way. The two get along quite nicely, as do Lucis and Tenebrae."

A hum slipped from Ardyn's mouth. "I see. Well," he sighed heavily, his large poofy tail swaying from side to side. "I wish for us to get along Regis, I do not want tension between our clans," Ardyn sighed, shaking his head.

"Nor do I," Regis growled. "However, Nilfheim constantly seems to leave us with no choice."

"And yet here I am giving you one," Ardyn chuckled. "Never you mind Regis. The two will not be wed until Noctis is officially of age, correct? This gives you a few years to consider what I've said to you. Perhaps somewhere down the road you will change your mind."

"Mmm." Regis bowed. "If you are telling me that this could stop tension between Niflheim and Lucis, I will consider what you have suggested."

Noctis turned to look at his father, his eyes widening. Was his father really going to consider breaking up the potential union he'd been planning since Noctis was practically 12?

"Good to hear! And this means we'll have the opportunity to meet once again. Perhaps Tenebrae could be here as well! Have a lovely little party," he grinned, bowing to Regis.

"My guards will gladly escort you out," Regis said slowly, waving his hand at the men standing near the throne room.

"An escort! How thoughtful of you Regis. I was a bit worried to walk back with only my few guards as company," he hummed, turning to leave the room, waving his hand a bit. "See you both sooner than you realize."

The boots clunked against the floor again, and Noctis wrinkled his nose as he watched Ardyn leave the room. Behind him, his father let out a long sigh, slouching down in his throne. "Unexpected..." he mumbled, rubbing his forehead.

"Are you...really going to stop the plans for me to...mate with Luna?" Noctis asked quietly.

Regis let out a laugh. "Noctis, you need to work on your facial expressions. And you cannot allow your emotions to take control of your when your friends are involved. I know you care greatly for Prompto, but please, you need to control yourself, especially in front of people like Ardyn."

"That...doesn't answer my question," Noctis muttered, folding his arms. His father was constantly reminding him how important it was to keep personal interest and personal thoughts out of political moves.

"I suppose you could say I don't know. Ending the tension with Niflheim is of course ideal. But doing what Ardyn has suggested or what he pleases, may not be the best course of action. As I am sure you could agree. I do not trust him."

"Yeah," Noctis muttered, folding his arms. "And how did he know about Prompto anyway?!"

Regis shook his head. "That did worry me. Perhaps you should go check on your friend."

Immediately, Noctis' ears folded down against his head. Ardyn had mentioned wanting to take Prompto back. Would he kidnap him? No...that would be too damn obvious. "Y-Yeah, probably," he said, stepping down from the throne. He wanted to run out of there, run and find Prompto, grab his hands and hold him, making sure the Fox boy never left. However, he knew his father would not approve of him dashing through throne room, so instead he bowed, taking his leave as he walked to the door. The second he was out of the throne room, he ran, heading towards the training grounds where Prompto would normally be.

"Hey! Noct!" A familiar voice called out down the hall as Noctis ran, and he turned and saw Prompto, coming directly from the training grounds. From the other direction, Noctis could hear the telling stomp of boots. What the hell was Ardyn doing here? And where the hell were the guards?

Rushing forward, Noctis covered Prompto's mouth. "Prom, shhh," he said, pulling him off to the side.

"Mmmph..." Prompto's muffled words attempted to slip between Noctis' fingers, but instead they awkwardly moved to the side when Ardyn came around the corner.

"If it isn't the young Prince and his playmate, Prompto, was it?" Ardyn smiled, his tail wagging back and forth. "Seems I did get a chance to meet the fabled fox in the palace!"

Prompto's eyes widened as he looked Ardyn up and down, and Noctis immediately could tell the blond fox knew. His mouth pulling away from Noctis' hand. "Y-You're a fox!? N-Noct who is this?! Another fox at the palace?!"

"My name is Ardyn Izunia, and I am the leader of the Fox clan. It's such a pleasure to meet you." Arydn leaned down slightly, holding his hand out to the younger boy.

Fear thumped in Noctis' chest. What was he supposed to do? If Prompto chose to go with Ardyn, Noctis couldn't stop him.

Prompto shook his hand quickly. "Wow! I've never met another fox before! Or well maybe I have, but I don't remember," he laughed. "A-And I can't believe of all the ones to meet. I'm meeting the leader!" he said.

Ardyn smiled, a laugh slipping from his toothy grin. "Ah an Omega! How rare" he said, glancing at Prompto's bronze wristlets. Quickly, Prompto lowered his hands, tucking them behind his back. "I would invite you to come back to your own kind but I don't think your prince would appreciate me taking his best friend from him."

Blushing, Prompto's ears quickly folded back. "T-Thanks Mr. Izunia..." Prompto said. "But I'd rather stay here anyway. I mean I am the Royal Best Friend! Noct would be lost without me," he chuckled, folding his arms behind his head.

"Just as I suspected. Well, I'll be seeing you Noctis, and I hope to see you too Prompto," he said, waving to both of them, his large boots stomping off against the ground.

"Wow!" Prompto said, turning towards Noctis, his red tail wagging back and forth. "I can't believe another fox was here! I thought Lucis and Niflheim hated each other."

"Yeah, they do. Prompto," Noctis said, taking his hands. "I need you to promise me you won't talk to that guy if he ever comes here again, okay?"

Furrowing his brow, Prompto tilted his head. "Why?"

"I...I just get a really weird feeling from him okay?" he said quietly. "He was meeting with me and my Dad earlier and...it was really strange. Just...trust me. Plus I think he maybe wants to kidnap you."

Prompto's ears folded back momentarily, before he smiled, wrapping his arms around Noctis. "I trust you, Noct. And trust _me_ no one is going to take me from here!"

~~

Noctis’ whole body felt tense, and his wrists ached, the marks on his skin digging in and suffocating his bloodstream. Anger boiled inside of him, and it took all of his being to not fight everyone around him, especially Gladio who was standing right in front of him. Ruts were probably one of the worst things Noctis had ever experienced. 

The first one had come unexpectedly when he was 15, and he'd almost attacked Prompto, just for the sheer _joy_ of fighting the other boy. Gladio had dragged him away, thankfully, and sparred with him until he had calmed down. They were lucky Prompto’s heat hadn’t hit yet, as he didn’t smell anything like an Omega, or it could’ve potentially been even worse.

He was 16 now and nothing had changed. The ruts came every few months, every month if he was unlucky. And he’d spiraled into one this month a little early. It didn’t help that he was still feeling incredibly uncomfortable after the meeting with Ardyn Izunia. He didn’t like that guy. Not one bit.

"C'mon Your Highness," Gladio teased, charging at him, swinging the long sword towards his body.

Noctis quickly dodged, his blood boiling. He wanted to leap forward and rip the other's throat out, that sounded far more pleasant than listening to him tease him. 

"Shut up, Gladio," Noctis growled, swinging his sword towards him. Their blades clanged, the sharp weapons trembling against each other. He jumped back, panting as he thrust the sword into the ground. "Dammit," he grunted, his face flushed. "This isn't working..." he mumbled.

Gladio tilted his head. "'S'not?"

Noctis placed his hands on his knees, trembling as he shook his head. His body felt hot, sweaty, and tense. "I dunno. This is the worst one yet. Maybe cause it’s early?"

He'd heard ruts only grew more and more unbearable the longer a person went without a mate, and while normally sparring with Gladio calmed him down, currently it was only making him angry.

Rubbing the back of his neck, Gladio flicked his tail back and forth. "Could be. But it’s probably because the full moon is coming up," he said. "C'mon, I'll take you back to your room." He reached his hand forward, offering it to Noctis, who immediately slapped it away.

"Get away," he growled, baring his teeth to the other Alpha.

"Jeez, Noct, I know this is your rut, but you gotta _try_ to calm down," Gladio snorted.

Groaning, Noctis' ears folded back. "How do you handle this, I mean, you don't have a mate right?"

Gladio's eyes closed, and a huff of air puffed from his nostrils, his tail began to flick back and forth in frustration. "Nah," he muttered. "I just ride it out, or find someone to spend it with. Sometimes I shift and go for runs. That helps," Gladio grunted.

Noctis sighed, slowly pushing himself back up. "I guess I'll just go back to my room for now," he grunted.

"Good plan. And make sure Prompto stays away from ya'," he called after him.

"Yeah, yeah," he grumbled. As an Omega, Prompto had to stay far away from Noctis when he was in heat, and Noctis had to do the same during a rut, which had only been a few times. It would've been so much easier if he could've just...mated with Prompto like he always wanted to.

His father, however, had immediately shot down the idea. _"You're a Prince! And he's from Niflheim. We're on the brink of a war with the foxes, you should be thankful Prompto is allowed to stay here. When you're 18 we will meet with Lady Lunafreya to discuss you mating with her."_

He hadn't told Prompto about it however, and now he was dreading the day Lunafreya would show up, though it seemed far away. He liked her just fine, but he didn’t wish to mate with her. Of course, now he wasn’t sure if he would be. Who knew? Maybe his father would force him to mate with someone else, if he chose to follow Ardyn’s demands.

The more Noctis thought about it, the angrier he grew, storming down the hall. He knew his rut made him irrationally angry, but with each echoed footstep, his anger grew. Why couldn't he be with Prompto? Why couldn't he mate with whoever he wanted? And with the country almost being at war with the Foxes, wouldn't mating with one show they weren't hostile? All of these questions were ones he had swallowed with his father, mostly because the elder man never seemed to understand.

He stormed past his room, and stopped outside Prompto's door, his hand hovering over the door. He'd never experienced Prompto's scent when he was in a rut, not that Prompto had much of a scent unless he was in heat. Noctis had only gotten a small whiff of it once, when Prompto had come out of his room after hiding away for 3 days, and _wow_ had he smelled amazing. Better than any Omega he'd ever smelled before. He'd chalked that up to Prompto’s abnormal class.

If he went in now, he knew he wouldn't be able to hold back. They'd only kissed a few times, their lips connecting in private when no one else was around, and every time it had only made Noctis love Prompto more. Right now, in this moment, his face flushed and tail whipping back and forth quickly, he wanted nothing more than to take Prompto, kiss him hard and mate with him. Make him _his_ completely.

Any other time he probably would've been disgusted with these desires swirling around in the pit of his stomach. But right now, he could barely contain himself.

"Noctis!" He jerked his hand back, stepping away from the door. His ears folded downwards as he turned to look at Ignis, currently looking none too pleased. "What are you doing?" he asked, quickly placing himself between the door and the younger boy.

Noctis' hands felt hot, his wrists stinging. It was difficult not to lunge forward at Ignis, especially when he was blocking the path to his potential mate. A growl slipped between his lips, his body frustrated and desperate.

"Alright," Ignis sighed before Noctis could speak. "I'm escorting you back to your room." He stepped forward, and wrapped his hand around Noctis' arm. "Come along."

"Ugh," he grunted, following Ignis back as he stared longingly at Prompto's door. He had been so close. "You don't need to _lead_ me," he snapped.

"Oh but I do. I cannot believe Gladio let you walk back here alone in this state. He has plenty of control, but you have barely been having ruts for a year," Ignis grumbled, mostly to himself, as he turned the lock on Noctis' door, bringing them both inside.

"I told him I was going back to my room," Noctis insisted.

Pressing his glasses up the bridge of his nose, Ignis flicked his tail back and forth. "But you were outside of _Prompto's_ room," he noted.

Noctis blushed, turning his head. He moved his tail up and down, his heart pounding loudly in his chest. "Yeah, so?"

"Noctis, I know I am a Beta, so perhaps you think I don't _know_ about these things. However I am well aware of how Alphas get in ruts, and Omegas in heat," Ignis explained.

Swallowing, Noctis glanced downwards. "Iggy, is it really so horrible that I wanna be with Prompto?"

A gentle sigh slipped from Ignis' lips. "I don't believe it's a horrible thing, no. And quite frankly if you could be together without actually mating, I would say you should do as you please. But you and I both know that's not possible right now. Perhaps in a few years you could-"

"But I want to mate with him," Noctis growled, the anger slowly seeping up to his mind once more.

"We both know that is impossible," Ignis whispered, sadness flashing across his eyes. "We both know your father has plans for you-"

"And what if I don't want those plans?" Noctis growled, stepping towards Ignis. He knew it wasn't his advisor's fault, but it was so difficult to hold back his anger.

"Noctis," Ignis said, placing his hand on the shorter's shoulder. "You are the Prince of the Wolf clan... and-"

"I should be able to do whatever I want," he snapped, pulling away from the other teen.

"-you have a duty to your people and the throne," Ignis finished softly.

"I get it I just-..." Noctis trailed off, his ears folding downwards. His body hurt so much, his wrists stinging, his head pounding. If he had been anyone else besides a damn prince, he could've been with Prompto, no questions asked. "It sucks...and these stupid ruts are awful. Fighting Gladio only helps so much..."

Ignis sighed, wringing his hands together. "Noct, as your advisor, you do know I am here to perform certain...duties for you, if you so wish."

His eyes widened, his ears standing on end as he turned to stare at Ignis. "....What?" he said quietly. Was Ignis really suggesting they...

He nodded, staring pointedly at the other. "I am a Beta for a reason."

"I don't...get it..." Noctis said slowly, though the idea of Ignis laying down beneath him flashed through his mind, and he felt his body heat up yet again. Ruts were so stupid. Shaking his head, he took a step back. "And...what about Gladio?"

"Gladio and I are not mates," he said quickly. "I am your advisor above all else, and I am your Beta. I have never offered this to you before because you never seemed to be in need...but now it seems you are. I can assist you, if you so desire."

Brushing past Ignis, Noctis flopped down on his bed. "I'm not gonna do that to you, Iggy," he grumbled. "I'll just ride it out in here for now."

Ignis bowed. "As you wish. I'll be outside in case you need anything. I'll be sure to have extra water brought to your quarters this evening."

"Thanks," Noctis muttered, burying his face into one of his pillows. It wasn't going to be a pleasant evening.

~~

Prompto wasn't stupid. There were many truths he had come to learn as he grew up. First off, he was a fox, an outsider, and that was more of a problem to many, both people in and outside of the palace. Most Lucians hated foxes. Even Noctis was wary of them. Ardyn Izunia had seemed perfectly friendly, and yet Noctis had been flustered and a bit angry.

Second off, as much as he and Noctis loved each other, they could never _never_ be together. Neither of them had come out and said as much, but Prompto knew there was no way King Regis would allow it. The King had been gracious enough to let Prompto stay as long as he had, and silently he kept waiting for his good luck to run out.

And third off...avoiding Noctis during his ruts and during Prompto's own heats was becoming harder and harder, mostly because it was so damn obvious they wanted each other.

Even when Prompto wasn't in heat, he couldn't stop his heart from pounding every time Noctis smiled. Or his stomach from flip flopping when their hands would brush against each other when they walked down the hall. Simple things like these were becoming more and more...complicated.

Noctis' rut had finished the night before, and Prompto was finally happy he'd have the chance to see him after all this time. Even three days apart felt like three days too many. Heading towards the Prince's room, he heard a strange noise down the hall.

"What the hell were you thinking?" Ignis' voice hissed, and Prompto had immediately stopped in his tracks, not wanting to walk in on an argument. He pressed his back against the corner, peeking down. Ignis and Gladio stood in the middle of the hallway, Ignis' tail flicking back and forth furiously.

"Ah...c'mon Iggy. He didn't seem that bad..." Gladio's deeper tone rumbled against his throat, and Prompto felt his ears crane forward, trying to hear what they could be speaking of.

"Not all Alphas have your level of control! Especially not Noctis! He's only been dealing with ruts for a year," Ignis scolded him.

Putting his hands up, Gladio looked unperturbed. "Alright, next time I'll wait for you to come get him or walk him back myself. He was really hostile with me though cause I'm another Alpha."

"Well I found him standing outside of Prompto's door," Ignis hissed, and Prompto immediately froze, turning back around the corner. Ignis had found Noctis standing outside of his door? Why? Had Noctis' rut been that bad?

"The hell?" Gladio grunted, rolling his eyes. "What the hell does he think he's doing?"

Ignis sighed, shaking his head. "He loves Prompto. He wants to mate with him, you know this." Prompto's face lit up, his cheeks turning bright red. It wasn't a secret, but hearing someone else talk about it made Prompto's heart begin to race.

"Well," Gladio growled, his arms folding heavily. "He's gotta learn to control himself."

"I am aware. I offered my services to him last night but he rejected-"

"You did what?" Gladio asked, a growl rolling through the air.

"Gladio...we talked about this," Ignis said softly, and Prompto watched as Gladio deflated a little bit. From what Noctis had told Prompto, and what the blond had inferred from his conversations with Gladio...Gladio wanted to mate Ignis, however the Beta had said no because of his obligation to Noctis. At least...for the next few years.

"Look, I know...but I just..." Another growl. "Whatever I won't let Noctis be alone during a rut again."

There was a long pause, and Ignis bowed his head. "Thank you. We both know it would not be good if the two of them were to mate. If Noctis could handle himself, it would be fine for them to do as they please for a little while, but actually mating is...out of the question."

"Yeah I get it," Gladio hissed, and Prompto wondered how much of Ignis' statement was about him and Gladio, rather than Noctis and himself.

He heard Gladio's footsteps walking towards him and he began to panic. Swallowing, Prompto leaped out from around the corner, stepping down the hall as if he'd never stopped to listen to their conversation.

"Oi, Fox," Gladio smirked, touching his shoulder. "Ya' coming to do some training?"

"Oh! Prompto, good afternoon," Ignis said, a smile on his face. Thankfully neither of them seemed to suspect he had heard anything.

"Actually I was thinking about heading to Noctis' room. I heard that his rut finished last night, so I wanted to see how he was doing."

Ignis chuckled, though Gladio looked a little disappointed. Perhaps the Alpha had been itching to let off some steam after their conversation.

"He might be a bit grouchy as I do not know how much he slept, but I'm sure he would welcome your company as always," Ignis smiled.

"Right! Cool! Well I won't stay long if he seems a little off," he chuckled, waving to the two of them as he slowly continued down the hall.

Narrowing his eyes, Gladio looked at him strange. "Prompto, when was your last heat?"

His ears folded back, and his hands twisted around his bronze wristlets. "Uhm...just a couple of weeks ago?" he said slowly. "Why?" Maybe it had been three? He hadn't really been keeping count.

"I dunno," Gladio said, stepping towards him as he sniffed the air. "I thought you smelled a little funny for a second, but I guess not." His tail flicked back and forth, his nose sniffing at the air.

"If you think you might be due for a heat however, you should be careful around Noctis," Ignis warned.

"No, no! I'm good I promise!" he said, waving his hands quickly. "I'll see you guys at dinner," he smiled, waving back at the two of them as he continued towards Noctis' chamber.

He felt a little odd, yes, but it didn't feel like how he felt when he had a heat. He just felt a little tired and jittery. The conversation he had overheard had sent him spiraling in his head. He wanted to see Noctis, and hang out...spend time with him like they did before they had presented and had to worry about all this nonsense.

Clapping his hands against his cheeks, he knocked on the door and waited for Noctis to open.

"Prompto!" he smiled, grabbing his hand and pulling him inside. Immediately, Prompto was overwhelmed by Noctis' Alpha smell. It was strong, and smelled like protection, and some sort of tangy scent Prompto couldn't quite place. His eyes dilated, and his mouth ran dry, the scent seeping into his pores.

"N-Noct," he said, trying to stay cheerful and not choke on the scent. "What's up buddy?" he smiled, his palms growing sweaty. "I heard your rut is done."

"Thank the gods," he grunted, rolling his eyes. He moved away from Prompto and sat on the edge of his bed. "Y'know I accidentally hit Gladio's hand away when he tried to help me I was so angry at him," Noctis chuckled.

"You did?" Prompto said, feeling his stomach flip flop, as he stared at Noctis' small laugh. His lips were quirked upwards, and open just enough to hear the sound resonate from his lips. "You must've been pretty...uh, grouchy?" He clasped his hands together, squeezing them tightly, the smell was far more overwhelming than he expected. He felt as though it had permeated his nose, and his mouth, so that all he could smell and taste was something so inherently _Noctis_...

"Yeah, I get so angry..." he muttered. "I hate it. It takes so much effort," he whined, rolling his eyes. "I know heats are bad too, but man...at least you don't feel like you want to fight everyone all the time for a few days."

"Y-Yeah...I guess you're right," Prompto said. His knees felt week, his body trembling, and he took a step back. He knew he should leave, since the scent was affecting him so much, but he was having a hard time thinking straight. All he wanted was to go to bed, snuggle against Noctis and maybe kiss him...maybe more.

"Prom?" Noctis asked, tilting his head. "Are you okay? You look a little pale?"

Shaking his head, Prompto nodded quickly. "Yeah...yeah! I just...Uh..." he glanced down, another large whiff of Noctis' scent hitting him directly in the stomach as it slowly sank lower in his belly... "Are you sure...your rut is over?"

"Yup," Noctis replied. "No problems here." Noctis' scent was always...quite nice to Prompto, but something about right now, was overwhelming. If Noctis asked, he would've bent over and let him take him immediately. His heart hadn't stopped racing since he'd heard Ignis and Gladio talking in the hall, and now it was just about all he could hear.

"-to...Prompto!" Noctis' voice penetrated his heart beating, and Prompto blinked, shaking his head.

"N-Noct?" he whispered, his throat completely dry. This...was not good. Noctis’ smell...and the thoughts he had had earlier were throwing him into a premature heat. He had to get out of Noctis' room, but his knees felt weak, and slowly he began to sink to the ground, clutching his stomach. "Noctis...I..."

"Prompto-Woah..." Noctis rushed to Prompto's side, but was immediately overwhelmed by Prompto's Omega scent releasing as the heat hit suddenly, and unexpectedly.

His stomach flip-flopped as he desperately tried to push away from Noctis with very little success. "Noct...You gotta get...Iggy, I don't know what's happening but I think...I might be g-going into heat sooner than I'm supposed to."

Noctis' pupils looked completely black as Prompto turned his gaze up to meet him. His face felt like it was on fire, his cheeks so heated as he began to pant, his body trembling. Noctis, an Alpha was right in front of him, so why couldn't he...just....have him? "N-Noct..." he whimpered, his hand clutching Noctis' shoulder.

"P-Prompto you...really do smell amazing," he said softly, dropping his head to Prompto's shoulder. "M-Man...I..." Noctis was shaking against him, their scents mingling together so nicely, it was impossible to pull away. "I just didn't realize how good your Omega scent is..." Noctis whispered, his lips pressing softly to Prompto's neck. His tongue flicked against Prompto’s hot skin.

A shivered moan, slipping from his cheeks. Oh gods, he wanted Noctis' lips all over his body. His neck heated up, the feeling slowly traveling downwards, a feeling Prompto had become quite familiar with over the past year. He was...definitely in heat. "Y-Yeah your scent was...really strong when I walked in the room, and I..." he let out a soft yelp, his cock twitching in his pants. Oh gods, he had to get out of Noctis' room while he still had some semblance of cohesive thought. Ignis and Gladio would be furious if they found out.

He really hadn't been expecting it though, it was far earlier than it should've been, and the panic was slowly rushing out of his system as he took in Noctis' scent. An Alpha was right here! He really should stop fighting it.

"Prompto..." Noctis whispered, his breath hot against his neck. "Let me help you..."

"Y-You can't..." he whimpered. "Ignis said-"

Pulling back, Noctis' looked at him with hungry eyes. "Who cares what Ignis says! Every rut I can't stop thinking about how much I just wanna be with you," Noctis muttered. "Last night, it took every part of my being to not rip Ignis to shreds to get out of my way just to get to you...I...I want to help you."

"But..." Prompto panted heavily, his body trembling. "...we're not supposed to..." And oh how the words did not match his actions. He clung to Noctis' robes, his sweaty hands pressing against him.

"So I won't knot you," he muttered. "Then we won't be mated and they're never gonna know..."

Hearing the word knot made Prompto's stomach drop, his slick beginning to slip down his ass. He really was hitting his heat, and hitting it hard, and gods he wanted Noctis more than he wanted anything else in life. "Okay," he whispered, the word slipping from his lips before he could fully realize what he was saying.

Noctis hesitated no longer, his lips immediately pressing against Prompto's. It was as awkward as all their other kisses, their lips slotting together messily, and Prompto moaned heavily against his lips. His body was burning with a need for Noctis he had never felt before. Of course during previous heats he'd struggled alone, touching himself while thinking of Noctis as he brought himself to completion. It had felt good, but the pit in his stomach had felt empty still, his body searching for more. And with Noctis' lips on his, it finally felt as though he was going to get it.

Noctis' hand pulled Prompto up, and he walked him back towards his bed, pushing him down. Prompto fell backwards, his head flopping against the pillow as Noctis climbed on top of him, pressing his lips against Prompto's again. He spread his legs without thinking, rolling his hips up against Noctis' as the Alpha settled in between his. "Noctis..." he panted, his voice a soft whimper.

"Yeah Prom?" he asked, flicking his tongue over Prompto's lips.

"I just...I need to get these robes off," he moaned, wrapping his arms around Noctis' neck, taking his scent in completely. His head against Noctis' pillow, he could feel the scent overwhelm his entire body, the Alpha smell making him only wish to do things faster.

"Yeah...Yeah..." Noctis whispered, a growl rumbling against his throat as he kissed at Prompto's lips, nipping at his lower. Whimpers slipped from Prompto's lips against Noctis', his breath hot and desperate. "Gods Prom you smell so amazing," Noctis groaned, pressing his face into his neck. His lips caressed at his skin and sucked on the smooth surface. Prompto's eyes fluttered shut, his head leaning to the side to let Noctis mark him as much as he wanted. Noctis should've been his Alpha.

Reaching his hand down, Noctis slipped his fingers under Prompto's robes, sliding them off his shoulder as he nipped down his neck, his small bites leaving tiny red marks on Prompto's pale skin. Noctis grinned, licking at the marks, as though he was proud of what he had left behind on the Omega beneath him. He wanted to mark him fully, and it took all of his being to hold his mouth back.

Prompto felt his wrists throbbing and he wiggled underneath Noctis, helping him remove the sleeves of his robes. His hands shakily tried to untie the sash holding Noctis' own robes together, trying to watch what he was doing between their heated kisses. "I can't...tell you how badly I wanted to do this last night," Noctis grumbled, kissing down Prompto's chest. His nipples were swollen, his chest heaving up and down as he stared up into the Alpha's dark eyes.

"I can't tell you how long I've wanted to do this...in general," Prompto whimpered, finally pushing Noctis' robes down to touch at his bare chest.

"Yeah," Noctis grunted, kissing down his chest, his tongue slurping at one of his nipples. It was so messy, the way his tongue slipped over the hard bud, Noctis' drool trailing down Prompto's chest, but the blond didn't mind. He wanted to be covered in everything that Noctis was. His slick was growing worse, pool at the bottom of his ass, and Prompto could barely contain the noises which kept escaping his lips.

His fingers ran through Noctis' hair, his hands stroking over the base of his ears as he moaned against his chest. Noctis flicked his tongue over Prompto's other nipple, loving how Prompto's hips thrust upwards, twitching towards him with need. "Hurry..." Prompto whimpered, "please Noctis, I-I need...f-faster..." He could barely form his words as Noctis' fingers slipped lower, pulling down on the Omega's pants.

Staring down at him, Noctis blushed seeing Prompto completely naked in front of him for the first time. His cock was hard, and leaking at the red tip, his pre-cum pooling onto his belly. The slick from his ass dripped onto Noctis' sheets, and Prompto wiggled his legs, wincing as he felt the slick rolling down his legs. Noctis had never seen someone else completely naked before, and Prompto looked so damn good. His face flushed, just staring at him. "P-Prompto..." he muttered, still ogling his body.

"W-What?" Prompto panted out, his cheeks painted the most adorable shade of red. "S-Sorry...the slick is...kinda...I can't help it."

Noctis raised an eyebrow, staring down at his best friend, his now lover, _his_ Omega... "Yeah I know."

"Well you were staring so I thought...maybe you thought it was weird or something..." he mumbled, biting on his lower lip as his ears folded towards the back of his head. Noctis' face flushed even more; just when he thought Prompto couldn't get any cuter, he seemed to do something else that made Noctis' heart soar.

"Gods no. You look...good," he huffed, leaning his head down towards Prompto's belly. He flicked his tongue over the pre-cum pooling there, watching as Prompto's face turned an even brighter red. What was Noctis doing? Was he really okay with just-

Prompto jolted, feeling Noctis' hot lips wrap around his cock, drool slipping down his chin. He rolls his back up, his fingers clinging to the sheets underneath him. "N-Noct!" he yelped, his knees rising up as he felt more slick pooling beneath his bottom. More, more...more...he just wanted _more_ from Noctis, his hips twitching into his mouth.

The Alpha bobbed his head up and down, rolling his tongue over the tip of Prompto's cock. How Noctis was so good at this, Prompto had absolutely no idea, but he knew he had no desire for the other to stop. "Please...Noct..." he whimpered. "I need you...to fill me...please..."

Licking at the tip of his cock, Noctis nodded, happy to provide Prompto with what desired he most. He moved his hand lower, his finger slipping against the wet hole. "Wow," he muttered. "It's really wet."

Prompto blushed and covered his eyes with his hands. "It's...It's cause of the heat..."

"Yeah I know...I just...I kinda can't believe it's me that made you so excited," he chuckled, pressing a finger inside. As much as he wanted to be connected to him immediately, he knew he couldn't just start with that, no matter how wet Prompto was, Noctis had to prepare him.

Prompto's hand moved lower, covering his mouth now with his hand as he let out a yelp. The finger inside of him felt so incredibly good, and his blushed at the squelching noises which came from his body as Noctis began to pump the finger in and out. "Y-You can do more..." he begged, his moans sharp and intense, as his body twitched in pleasure. For over a year he'd been so needy and desperate, begging for this...to be filled by someone, and the fact that it was actually Noctis only made it even better.

A second finger was added, and Prompto quickly begged for a third, each finger getting closer and closer to what his body actually desired. He moaned, rocking his hips upwards, a yelp erupting from his lips as Noctis hit an area which sent a jolt down his spine. "N-Noctis!" he yelled.

"What!?" he froze, watching as Prompto's body shook, pre-cum dribbling from his cock.

"Don't...don't stop, no...that was...please..." Prompto swallowed, gasping for air. Noctis had no idea what he had done exactly, but he could tell it had obviously been good.

Pushing his fingers up again, Noctis brushed against the same spot, his hand wet and coated in Prompto's slick as the boy let out a large, high pitched moan, his eyes rolling back as his tail trembled against the bed.

"N-Noctis..." he whimpered. "Please just...give me you, all of you..." he begged, his voice hushed and whispered.

"O-Okay..." he mumbled, his face red. Prompto was such a sight to watch, and as he pushed down his pants, his own large cock was completely hard, ready to finally be connected to his best friend.

Pressing his tip to Prompto's hole, he began to push himself in slowly, his elbows trembling as he stared down at the blond. "I-I...wow you're really...hot and wet...and...ngh!" Noctis panted, his head hanging down. Noctis' tail flicked back and forth, and moved downwards, wrapping his tail around Prompto's, connecting to him tightly.

Prompto's toes curled, and he lurched forward, feeling Noctis completely push inside of him. All along this was all he had ever wanted. Finally, he was starting to actually feel fulfilled during one of his heats. His wrists began to ache with a pleasurable burn, the marks heating up pleasantly this time.

"P-Prom...I wanna...I wanna move...I wanna do this," he grunted, and Prompto nodded, still panting so heavily. He couldn't even find his voice, the feeling was so incredible. Noctis' cock was so thick, and it stretched his ass perfectly, just what he'd always wanted.

"Y-Yes," he huffed out finally.

With a gentle squeeze of their tails, Noctis began to thrust himself into Prompto, the slick making it easy to move. "A-Ah Prompto..." he mumbled, moving into him quicker and quicker. He had been so desperate for this too, the emotions and anger from last night resurfacing as he thrust into the other.

Noctis leaned down, brushing his lips against Prompto's, the two kissing as Prompto wrapped his legs around Noctis, and his heels pressed into Noctis' ass. He felt Noctis move even deeper inside of him, and Prompto was so overwhelmed, he was not sure how long he could last, his sac tightening and his cock twitching.

"N-Noctis...I...I love you." he mumbled, pecking at his lips once more.

"I love you too, Prom."

"I have...for so long and I just wanted to be with you and I know I can’t but I...I just wanted you to know and I'm happy we're-" Prompto was cut off immediately as Noctis kissed him, pumping into him faster. He could feel his cock beginning to swell at the base, mixed with the slick and scents in the air, he was desperate to actually mate.

"Me too..." he whispered, pressing his forehead against Prompto's as he thrust in slower, deeper, the movement of his hips more sensual as he tried to hold back the knot wanting to form.

Prompto blushed at the movement, his scent growing stronger. Damn...Noctis could only smell Prompto, could only see how amazing Prompto looked underneath him, and it was _incredible_. Overwhelming. Panting he began to move his hips faster, his cock swelling more than he could control.

"N-Noct!" Prompto gasped, his eyes closing as he felt the tightness in his lower stomach about to unwind. "I...I'm gonna...I can't...Ngh!" he moaned, his cock twitching as he released his finish, the wet slick slipping down his ass as his cum shot up onto his stomach. He panted as he slowly came down.

Prompto's ass clenched around him, and Noctis completely lost control, his knot swelling as he felt his own finish pour into Prompto's ass. His eyes widened as he realized what had happened. Prompto's scent began to overwhelm him again, his wrists burning as the connection between mates began to form.

"N-Noct?" Prompto's eyes widened as he stared at his wrists, wincing as he felt Noctis' cock stretching him.

"S-Shit!" he moaned, his body trembling as he tried to move back, realizing quickly there was no way for him to pull out now.

Their scents mingled in the air, intertwining as the connection formed, their bond locked into place. Noctis could feel how hard Prompto's heart was beating, and his face flushed. Their bodies would be connected for a little while now, and forever would they share the mating bond they'd created.

Both of them winced as they yanked off their wristlets, their marks shifting and throbbing, as they added small details just to prove they were actual mates. Noctis' alpha flames scorching over Prompto's unique beta and omega lines. However, only Prompto's waves floated onto Noctis' wrists underneath.

"Noct..." Prompto whispered, his mouth completely dry as the two teens stared at their wrists.

Noctis swallowed as he stared down at Prompto. "P-Prom…" he choked out...his voice wavering. Just as they always promised...they were now mates. And neither looked happy about it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SO this chapter is SUPER long. I kinda figured out the direction everything needed to go in, soooooo I had to add a scene in and ALSO there was smut in this chapter soooo that made it extra long. I am so sorry for the lengthy chapter but hopefully it's enjoyable :) Thank you to everyone following this fic, I'm really flattered by the kudos and comments :) Thank you to Adriana for being my amazing beta as always!


	6. Chapter 6

"What are we...going to do?" Prompto's voice was high pitched, his tone trembling with a fear Noctis hadn't heard in a long time.

"I-I dunno!" Noctis whispered, trying not to panic. He wanted to be mated with Prompto, this was supposed to be an amazing, beautiful thing they could share together. Instead, he'd lost control in the heat of the moment, and if there was one thing Noctis knew for certain...his father would absolutely not approve.

"It's not that I don't...want this!" Prompto urged, sitting up a bit, which caused both teens to wince. They were still attached, unable to adjust comfortably. 

"S-Same!" Noctis agreed. The two stared at each other, Prompto's eyes glistening with tears, and Noctis' heart sank. He wanted Prompto to feel comfortable, he wanted him to smile about this, not cry. They were connected, and Noctis had always been told mating was meant to be an intimate, romantic thing.

"I-I'm sorry, Noct," Prompto sniffed, covering his eyes with his arm. "It's all my fault-"

"Prom, what the hell are you saying? We both did this-"

"If I h-hadn't come in here and...and...hit my heat you would never have-"

"Stop," Noctis whispered, gently tugging on his arm. "We're both...to blame..." he muttered. His father was going to kill him. Noctis had been planning on making a good argument for being together with Prompto. He'd already said no once, but Noctis was convinced he would be capable of changing his father's mind. He wanted to prove to his father that this choice could be good for them, maybe even help calm things down between the Foxes of Niflheim and the Wolves of Lucis, but now...without permission, there was no way the King would allow this to stand.

"I don't know what to...do..." Prompto said. "K-King Regis is going to kick me out for doing this to you."

Just the idea of that alone made Noctis growl, his ears folding angrily against his head. Prompto was his mate after all, and being away from him was something he wouldn't stand for. "Absolutely not," Noctis said. "I won't let that happen. I won't."

He hated that Prompto kept blaming himself, especially when they both had lost control. Instincts were a horrible thing, another reason Noctis silently wished he had presented as a Beta instead.

"I love you, Noctis," Prompto whispered, the red under his freckles growing lighter. "A-And I want to stay your mate but...I know you have to mate with...someone..."

Sighing, Noctis lowered his head to Prompto's, touching their foreheads together. "I love you, Prom," he mumbled. "And yeah...maybe we rushed it but...this is what we both want, right? I'll find a way...I'll convince him somehow..." He wanted there to be truth in what he spoke of, but he wasn't sure how flexible his father would be. There had been many times he'd brought up the idea of Noctis mating with Luna, even planned to have them meet again soon now that Noctis was 16. He'd also mentioned someone from Altissa Noctis had never met before. However, Niflheim had never come up in potential mate discussions for obvious reasons, and Noctis wasn't meant to mate with his personal servants.

"Okay," Prompto whispered. An exhale slipped from his lips, looking a little relieved finally.

There was a knock on the door, and Noctis lurched backwards in surprise, causing Prompto to yelp at the sharp movement, as they weren't quite ready to detach. Falling forward, Noctis' body landed completely on top of Prompto's as the door opened.

"Noct, I was- _What_ in the name of the gods is going on in here?!" Ignis hissed, both teens turning to look at the other.

Swallowing, red slowly crept onto both of their faces. Prompto squeaked and covered his face with his hands, while Noctis' eyebrow twitched. "H-Hey...Ignis," he muttered.

The older teen's glasses slowly began to slip down his nose, his mouth open wide as he processed the scene in front of him. His face looked as white as freshly cleaned linens. "Gods..." he muttered again. "Y-You didn't...."

"Uh..." Noctis muttered, the three teens completely frozen in place.

"E-Excuse me," Ignis said, opening the door quickly, he dashed out, slamming it shut behind him. "I will wait out here until you both are _decent_ ," he hissed.

Noctis groaned, pressing his forehead against Prompto's shoulder. "So much for keeping that a secret."

"The second any non-Beta smells us they'd know..." Prompto said quietly.

"Yeah, yeah," Noctis sighed, staring back down at Prompto. "I kinda just...wanted to have this moment, you know? Before it becomes this big, stupid _thing_." Was it really so horrible to want a private moment with this boy he loved so much?

Prompto laughed sadly. "I know. Me too..." he said, leaning up to press his lips to Noctis'.

Noctis smiled, kissing him back once more. This would probably be the only moment they had before Ignis started scolding them.

It took another five minutes for the swelling to go down enough for Noctis to pull out of Prompto. The blond winced, his hips rolling up as he tried to adjust, slowly sitting up. "Feels...kinda weird," he chuckled, hugging his arms around himself. He rolled over, slipping out of the bed. "I'm just gonna...clean up..." he muttered, grabbing his robes as he stepped off to Noctis' bathroom.

Wiping himself down, Noctis slipped his own robes back on, and took a long deep breath. He didn't want to let Ignis back in his room, but there was no other way out. Knowing Ignis, he was probably still standing there, trying to calculate what exactly had happened. There was no way he hadn't seen what had happened. He'd walked in on them, completely naked, Noctis clearly _inside_ of Prompto...

Noctis ran a hand down his face. He could already hear all the things Ignis was going to say. He was going to call him irresponsible, probably tell him to break the bond immediately before his father could even know. A shiver ran through his body, just thinking about breaking the bond made his wrists ache. Prompto was...the person he was _supposed_ to mate with. He _had_ to be. How could he possibly...break the bond they had just created?

Even though Prompto was in the bathroom, Noctis was distinctly aware of his scent even from this distance. So sweet, so tempting, his hair was standing on end thinking about Prompto, cleaning himself, naked in the bathroom. He could go in and they could do it again-

He shook his head. His damn instincts, the thing that had started this whole mess. Letting out a sigh, he placed his hand on the doorknob. "Ignis..." he muttered.

With a slam of his hand, Ignis pushed the door open and stormed into the room, closing it roughly behind him. "Noctis Lucis Caelum," he glared at the younger teen. "Where is Prompto?"

"Bathroom," Noctis mumbled, his tail swishing back and forth in frustration.

"What the _hell_ were you two thinking!?" Ignis said, his ears twitching back and forth. "I cannot believe this. Your father is going to kill you," Ignis continued.

"Iggy...I know," Noctis grumbled. "You think I don't _know_."

Pushing his glasses up, Ignis rubbed his eyes with his fingers. "If you knew then why did you..." he whispered, trailing off. "This could be terribly bad for not only you, but Prompto too, you realize that?"

Noctis growled, his tail standing on end. "Nothing will happen to Prompto."

"Alphas," Ignis muttered, running a hand through his hair. "Show me your wrists...Did you...actually...mate? Is a bond formed?" he said, stepping forward to gently push back the golden wristlets wrapped around Noctis' wrist. There was no surprise on his face when he saw the extra markings. "Oh Noct..."

Yanking his hand away, Noctis pulled up the bracelet and looked away. "It happened. It was an accident, but it happened, okay?"

"Yes, please, enlighten me. _What_ happened?" Ignis asked, glancing to the side as Prompto scurried out of the bathroom, looking utterly guilty.

"It was my fault!" he yelled. "Please! Don't blame Noctis!" he said, shaking his head back and forth quickly.

"Well unfortunately in this case, I believe you're both at fault. It isn't like only one of you could create the bond. Both of you would need to be _willing_ ," Ignis scoffed.

Prompto's ears folded down. "B-But...I didn't know I was going to hit a heat by smelling Noctis' leftover Alpha smell. If I hadn't come to the room-"

"Ah...so your heat came early, and instead of leaving Noctis' room, you stayed?" Ignis said, explaining the situation mostly to himself.

"S-Something like that..." Prompto muttered, rubbing his hands together. "It...happened so fast, I couldn't control it..."

Ignis rolled his shoulders back, rubbing at his nose once more. "It would be one thing if you had simply slept together, that could've been hidden, but... _mating_?" Ignis continued, mostly speaking to himself.

"I didn't plan to mate him," Noctis lied. Well, it wasn't a complete lie. He hadn't meant to mate Prompto this time, just help. Mating was supposed to come later. However, he supposed in a way, this was better than prolonging his inevitable plans. "It...was an accident. When he...you know...I just...couldn't control..." Gods this was horribly embarrassing to talk about. The longer he did the more both he and Prompto grew incredibly red. And of all the people to be telling this to...Ignis would be the least likely to understand. Not only was he a Beta but he also was the most controlled person Noctis had ever met.

Instead Ignis sighed and placed a hand on each of the teen's shoulders. "I...understand, though I may not experience heats or ruts, I recognize how difficult they can be..." Something shimmered in Ignis' eyes, something that made Noctis wonder about just how much experience Ignis had being around people during a rut or a heat. Ignis and Gladio were quite close, but Noctis knew they were not mates. Ignis had been around during some of Noctis' ruts, but never so intensely. "And I wish I could tell you this was going to be okay, but I cannot do that," Ignis continued, glancing between the two boys. "You _have_ to break the bond," he said softly. "It's the only way..."

Noctis jerked back, "No!" he growled, his ears standing on end. His Alpha instincts tugged at his mind, not wanting to be separated from his mate.

Prompto stepped back as well, linking his hand in Noctis'. "Noct...we-"

"No," Noctis shook his head, squeezing Prompto's hand. "I've always said this was what I wanted. If I really am going to be the next King, I should be able to choose my mate, and I've chosen Prompto!"

"The minute your father smells your scent, he's going to know what you've done. There is no hiding this, Noctis. If you had waited, you might have been able to argue for it, and perhaps you still can, but for now, you have to break the bond."

Hearing those words over and over made Noctis' blood boil with anger. He'd heard how painful it could be to break the bond, and both parties had to agree. He would never agree to such a thing, and he hoped Prompto wouldn't either.

Noctis glanced towards Prompto, and looked down at their hands. His father wasn't that unreasonable of man, was he? Noctis loved his father, and he respected him, even if the man was oftentimes far too busy to spend time with his son.

"I came to collect you for dinner, " Ignis began. "If you break the bond right now, your father will never know."

Pursing his lips, Noctis glared at Ignis. "Ignis...I love Prompto," he said, standing his ground. "If I'm supposed to be at dinner, I'm going to go and take Prompto with me and we can tell him together. He'll see and understand." Noctis wrapped his fingers around Prompto's and began to walk out his room.

"W-Wait Noct!" Prompto said, desperately clinging to the prince, trying to walk with him. "What if your father doesn't approve and sends me away?"

"King Regis isn't that cruel," Ignis began, following quickly after the two as Noctis stepped out of his room. "But I implore you to wait and discuss this with him, if you storm in there unprepared...I know you're feeling possessive because you're an Alpha that just mated-"

"I don't have a lot of options, Iggy," Noctis muttered, shaking his head. "If we don't go now, we have to break the bond, and I won't put Prompto through that pain."

"Noct..." Prompto whispered, his ears folding downwards as he nuzzled against his shoulder.

"I don't know what other options we have," Noctis admitted. He continued down the hall, his pace quickening. The sooner they got to the dining room, the sooner he could get this over with.

~~

Prompto wished he could've been happy. He wanted to feel the joy he should've felt upon finally taking a mate. Everything had fallen into place so quickly. Noctis filling him had been the best feeling in the whole damn world, and being connected, sharing their honest feelings...Prompto should've been elated.

And yet as they stood outside of the door to the dining hall, he knew the whole thing was about to come crashing down around them. It was either speak to King Regis right now, or break the bond immediately, neither of which Prompto really wanted to do. However the option they had chosen, gave them the most potential for hope. Hope that they could stay together.

Ignis had been surprisingly calm, following them to the room, though he had given them somewhat of a lecture. Still, Prompto noticed sympathy constantly flashing across Ignis' eyes, an emotion that only made Prompto grow more and more worried. "Are you sure this is what you wish to do?" Ignis asked.

"There's no other choice Iggy," Noctis mumbled.

Ignis sighed, shaking his head. It seemed like everyone but Noctis thought this was potentially a terrible idea.

"You ready?" Noctis asked, squeezing his hand. Prompto nodded, but he wasn't ready at all. He glanced at the bronze wristlets, imagining how his mark looked now, even with the two strange marks, Noctis' had somehow made his look better, and he'd only had it for about an hour. He wasn't ready to lose it, after getting exactly what he had always wanted.

Swallowing, he followed Noctis inside, the King sitting by himself at the end of the table. "Father," he called out, storming down the edge of the table. "I gotta talk to you." Prompto had never seen Noctis walk with such conviction, his hand still grasping Prompto's tightly.

"Noctis," he nodded, standing as his son made his way down the table. "Prompto?"

Prompto could almost see the realization wash over the King's face. First he stood, staring at both of the teens, his eyes flicked from their hands to their faces. Second, his ears folded down, his head tilting back as he took in their scent, and finally, he stared at both of them, his face growling pale.

"Oh Noctis...what have you done?" King Regis sighed, lowering himself back into his seat. "Your scent..."

"Prompto and I are mates," Noctis said bluntly.

The King rubbed his forehead. "I can smell that," he whispered. "And why in the name of the gods have you done this?" he asked.

"Because, we're in love," Noctis said, his tone wavering a bit. His face flushed red, and Prompto squeezed his hand, stepping forward.

"Sire," he bowed. "I...I really love Noctis and I promise to be a good mate to him and-"

Regis placed his hand on the table and stood up. "Unfortunately it has nothing to do with whether or not you can be a good mate to my son, young Fox."

Frowning, Noctis stepped in front of Prompto protectively. "Then what is it about, Father?" he growled.

"Noctis, we have talked about this. Prompto is a fox, which though he has grown up here, his fox lineage proves he is from Niflheim, something the people of our country would not be able to get over. I wish I could say they would, but for the good of the people, keeping their minds at ease...You need to be mated to someone with royal lineage, and from one of the countries we are about to sign treaties with. We are about to be at war with Niflheim and you mating with a fox...it would not stand. You have made a clouded, hasty decision, and I cannot allow you two to stay together," Regis sighed, sadness crossing over his features.

Both teens folded their ears down, staring at Regis as he spoke. Prompto didn't know why he felt so damn shocked. He should've known the second they stepped in the room, Regis was going to make them break the bond which had weaseled its way under his skin after a mere hour. He could feel his hands trembling. He didn't want to let this go, he couldn't let this go.

"Dad please," Noctis whispered. "I love Prompto, he's my best friend, he's the best possible person I could be with. We may have mated by accident but-"

"Accident?" King Regis asked, his eyebrow raising as he glanced from his son to his new mate.

"I-It was my fault, Your Majesty," Prompto whimpered, stepping forward. "N-Noctis had finished his rut so I thought it would be okay to...hang out...but the scent was lingering and my heat came early and-"

"I've heard enough. Ignis!" he bellowed. The older teen stepped forward, as he had been waiting by the door, allowing them to have their time.

"Yes, sire?" Ignis asked, bowing.

"Did you know about this?" Regis asked, gesturing to the two teens.

"Only after it had already happened," Ignis muttered, looking once again, sympathetically at the two boys.

"I see," Regis sighed. "I understand that you two are very close friends, and I know that you probably believe you love each other, but you are young. You are teenagers, and Prompto is in heat. Noctis, as an Alpha, a teenage Alpha, it is very difficult to resist an Omega in heat. I recognize that, especially since the two of you are so close."

"No, Father," Noctis growled, shaking his head. "You're wrong. Prompto and I...we've wanted to be mates for years...I even asked him before we presented."

"Noctis, please. Do not make this harder for me than it already is. This was irresponsible of you, and you now have to fix your mistake."

"It...wasn't a mistake," Noctis attempted to argue, but his voice was far weaker than before. "I want to be with Prompto..." he muttered. Prompto felt Noctis' hand tremble in his own, his scent going crazy. He wanted nothing more than to wrap his arms around his mate, let his own scent out to comfort and calm him down. That was his job, he was Noctis' Omega...though it seemed he wouldn't be for much longer.

"You are to break this bond immediately. The longer you wait, the more painful it will be," Regis explained. "Ignis, once the bond is broken, please take Prompto away and lock him up until his heat is done. From now on, Noctis you will spent all ruts protected by Ignis, and Prompto will be locked up for his heats so this mistake doesn't happen again."

Prompto's ears folded downwards and he took a step away from the King. Locked away from Noctis? The thought was enough to bring tears to his eyes, the idea of being away from him, especially during a heat, was so painful. It made Prompto's chest hurt.

"But-" Noctis began to protest.

"Go back to your room and take all the time you need," Regis said softly. "I know it won't be easy, but Noctis your duty is to the Kingdom, and while you may not understand this right now, you will when you are much older. Prompto will still be by your side as your best friend, only moved away when you two experience heats and ruts. Until you are mated, separately from one another, this is how it will have to be." The King looked pained, and it was obvious he didn't wish to cause harm to his son.

"I-I can't!" Noctis said, his hand squeezing Prompto's even harder. "I-"

"The longer you wait, the more painful it will be," Regis repeated. "Ignis, please escort them back. He can make you two dinner once everything is...settled."

There were more protests from Noctis as Ignis began to lead them out of the room, but Prompto was having a hard time hearing them. His heart throbbed painfully in his chest and the feeling on his wrists grew more and more tingly. He tried to pull breath into his lungs but his chest hurt so much, breathing felt like it was too much for him to handle. If he stopped, maybe he'd pass out, wake up and it would all be a dream. He wouldn't have made this stupid mistake, and he and Noctis would go back to being just friends, chasing a dream that someday they would be able to be together.

~~

"This is what happens when you think with your dick and not your brain, Noct," Gladio grunted, punching Noctis in the shoulder. "Ya' gotta control that stuff!" he said, shaking his head.

Ignis had recruited Gladio to come to Noctis' room to make sure everything went okay. Both teens were upset, barely speaking a word, and Ignis had asked Gladio to escort Prompto back to his room once everything was all said and done. His heat wasn't over after all, and Regis' orders had been very clear.

"Shut up," Noctis hissed, snapping at the older man.

"Gladio..." Ignis muttered, and shook his head, letting the Alpha know now was not the time for such jokes.

"What?" Gladio asked, raising his eyebrow.

"We're not splitting up! It wasn't a mistake! I mean it was, but it wasn't..." Noctis tried to explain.

"N-Noct..." Prompto muttered. "T-The King already s-said..." His lip trembled, tears pooling in the corner of his bright blue eyes.

Noctis glanced towards the floor, he couldn't look at Prompto, not when he looked so damn sad. This should've been the happiest day...they should've been eating together, celebrating! Prompto should've been in his bed tonight.

If he had been anyone but the prince, that is how it would've been.

"Wait, so you didn't do this by mistake? Are you two idiots?"

"Gladio!" Ignis repeated, his arms folding.

"Alright, alright, I'll keep my mouth shut," he grumbled, shaking his head.

"No, it wasn't a mistake," Noctis said. "But my father says we have to split up..."

"Noctis, I'm sorry, but I see no way for you to get out of this..." Ignis muttered.

Gladio shook his head. "You guys smell completely different, there's no way to hide that..."

He curled his fingers into fists, clenching them tightly at his side. "I don't even know how to break the bond..." Noctis muttered, his gaze flicking to Prompto. A few tears had slipped down his cheeks, the fox sniffling as his tail brushed across the floor. It was so difficult to not wrap his arms around him, and hold him close, to keep him safe. "Prom..."

Ignis sighed. "You have to...turn away from each other...and both say that you desire to break the bond. Both parties have to mean it, and then it will...break..." he explained.

"It won't work," Noctis grunted. "There's no way we both will mean it."

Gladio frowned. "You're gonna have to. You can't hide being mated."

A few more tears left Prompto's eyes. "T-This is all my fault...I should never...When Gladio asked me if I was close to having a h-heat..."

"Wait, you hit a heat after I said that?" Gladio let out a large groan. "Why the hell did you go to Noctis' room?!"

"Gladio smelled you?" Noctis asked, tilting his head.

"Kinda?" Prompto admitted. "It was such...a weird moment...I knew I wasn't due for a heat for...another week though, so I thought maybe...something was off. I f-feel so stupid."

Ignis let out a large sigh. "Enough...there is no reason to feel stupid. What's done is done, and now we have to fix it and move forward. I am sorry this is so painful for the two of you, but unfortunately...this is the situation."

Another sniff, and Prompto shook his head. "I don't want to..." he whispered. He pulled off the bronze wristlets looking at the new marks on his skin which had come from Noctis' Alpha marks. "They make this look less ugly," he whimpered, his lip trembling.

"Prom...I'm sorry," Noctis whispered. "Really this is my fault....I shoulda just..." He shook his head. How could they just split?

"Please Noctis, as your father said the longer you allow this bond to exist the harder it will be," Ignis urged. And really he was right. Ignis was always right. Why should he prolong the pain?

Prompto was the first of the two to turn around, the small tears slipping down his chin, his fox ears pressed sadly against his head. "It was my fault," he whispered.

Noctis was about to argue, but Ignis shook his head, and Noctis reluctantly began to turn around. There was no way this was going to work. Neither of them were going to mean their words, and the bond would never be able to break.

Ignis met eyes with Gladio for a moment, but the older man shut his and looked down. "Ya' gotta speak loudly and clearly," he said, and Noctis clenched his fists, his tail swishing angrily.

"You must...both speak at the same time," Ignis continued.

Noctis bit down on his lip. Soon they'd see. They were both going to say it, and then nothing would happen. Even if Noctis believed with all his heart it wouldn't matter, there was no way it was going to work.

He took a deep breath and stared at the wall, ready to speak. "I wish to break our bond."

"I wish to break our bond."

Both of them spoke at almost the exact same time, and the room was so quiet, Noctis was sure nothing had happened. Until there was a sharp pang in his chest. "Agh!" he cried out gripping at his robes as his knees hit the floor.

"HGN!" Behind him Prompto cried out too, the same sound.

"S-Shit...!" Noctis cursed, his hands burning as the marks began to turn bright red, his skin on fire. Where Prompto's marks had appeared so gently before, they slowly began to burn away off of his skin. His arms trembled, and his chest hurt, the pain throbbing into his heart over and over. He could smell Prompto's scent in the air, slowly returning to his original scent, and damn did it still smell delicious.

Whimpers and soft noises of pain echoed from behind him, and he wanted to turn around, to make sure Prompto was okay, but he couldn't move his trembling body. Their scents separated and Noctis could feel the two smells lingering in the air, though his own was easily being drowned out by Prompto's smell. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Gladio cover his nose, the scent probably too much for any Alpha.

His marks stopped glowing as Prompto's disappeared completely, and he panted, his body shaking from the aftershock of losing Prompto. His chest felt empty, the feeling of warmth gone, and he slowly turned around to see Prompto hugging himself on the ground as well. His body was heaving, and from the way his back shook, Noctis could tell the blond was crying.

"Noctis?" Ignis was by his side almost immediately, now that he was moving more normally. "Are you alright?"

His heart throbbed in his ears and he could feel his pulse pounding against the veins in his wrists. "It...it hurts, Ignis," he said, tears threatening to fall from his own eyes.

"I know," Ignis whispered, helping him stand up to bring him over to his bed. "You might want to lie down."

"C'mon kid," Gladio said, slowly helping Prompto stand, though his legs trembled so hard he collapsed to the ground. "Here," he said, kneeling down. "Get on my back I'll carry ya'," Gladio said. Prompto nodded, not saying a word as he slipped himself onto Gladio's back, draping his arms over his shoulders.

Noctis opened his mouth to say goodbye, but acknowledging such a word felt horrible. He wanted to scream that he loved him, he still wanted to mate with him again, when they could _keep_ the bond, but after this Noctis doubted Prompto would want to hear anything like that. So instead, he kept his mouth shut, watching as Gladio trudged out the door.

Sitting on his bed, he took a few deep breaths, and shook his head. "It's not fair...Ignis," he said, finally finding his voice.

"I know...Noctis," he whispered.

"It hurts," he repeated, clutching his hand to his chest, as the tears finally began to fall.

~~

Prompto felt empty. Completely and utterly empty. Nothing had ever hurt as badly.. Heats were often painful, a throbbing and desperate need for pleasure he couldn't quell, but Prompto would've had 20 heats in a row if it meant never having to go through that again.

He'd felt Noctis being ripped from his entire being, and he felt cold. When they had mated, it had been so warm, and loving...but this had felt like someone had torn the marks off from his skin, and yanked out his heart completely, leaving a gaping black hole pulsing where the organ used to be.

And really it was his own damn fault.

"G-Gladio..." he spoke finally, his throat feeling scratchy.

"You awake? You okay?"

Prompto shook his head against Gladio's large back. Being this close, Prompto could tell how good Gladio smelled, or maybe that was his strange head talking. "I love him," he whimpered. "I love Noctis so much. I didn't want to hurt him and I-I-..." He wanted to stay with him.

"I know you do, kid," he said, squeezing gently at his legs. He stopped outside of Prompto's room and opened the door. Outside his window, Prompto could see snowflakes dancing against the glass, and he shivered. The winter temperatures were probably as cold as his empty heart was now.

"It hurts..." he whimpered.

"Probably gonna feel that way for awhile," he said, and gently lowered Prompto to the bed. Tears streamed down his cheeks as he stared at the ceiling, and he slowly rolled to his side, his body curling in on itself.

"I know..." he said, swallowing a sob.

Gladio let his hand sit on his back. "Look, you're still technically in heat, but when it's done, come see me and we'll get some training in, okay? I gotta lock you in here for now, but Ignis will come check on you as much as he can," Gladio said softly.

This time, Prompto simply nodded.

"Holler if you need me," Gladio muttered, shutting the door behind him before clicking a few locks outside the door.

Trapped. This was Prompto's life now, trapped by his heat, trapped by his body. His stupid, stupid body. If only he could've been normal. If he had been a normal Beta, this never would've happened. He never would've known what it felt like to have Noctis move inside of him, or to feel Noctis' scent become one with his own. He never would've seen how beautiful Noctis' marks had made his wrists, and...he could've joined Noctis' guard, protected him in the best way he knew how.

Now, he had only hurt Noctis, Prompto was convinced he didn't deserve to ever look at the boy again. How could they look at each other? They'd been so close and it had been ripped away from them. His heart was broken, gone, empty.

He glanced out the window, the snow swirling against the panes. It was on a wintry day like today that Prompto had met Noctis for the first time. A small smile slipped on his lips thinking of how tiny they had been, their bodies flitting about in the snow, making snow angels. Noctis hadn't known how, and Prompto had taught him. Occasionally, when they were younger, they would sneak away to make them again, though usually they got caught.

There were so many things Prompto wished he could've changed about today. Things would've been so much easier for him and Noctis if today had never existed. Actually, things would've been so much easier for Noctis had Prompto never existed. Slowly sitting up, his ears folded down. He was a fox, he didn't belong here, he'd never belonged. He'd never be able to participate in hunts, he had to hide when he shifted, and he'd most likely stay unmated forever. No Lucian Wolf would want a Niflheim Fox. He couldn't remember anything about Niflheim, where he was apparently from. The only thing he could remember was running from there...

And yet as he stared out at the swirling snow, he couldn't help but think Noctis would be better off without him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm at a con right now, but I'm so happy I was able to have a little downtime to still post this chapter!! I hope people enjoy it! I am sorry for all the sad feels :( I do promise this story has a happy ending, even if right now it seems bleak! Thank you for the amazing support on this fic!! It really means a lot to me that people are enjoying it even if it's a lil weird!! <3 thank you for reading and thank you to Adriana for betaing as always!!


	7. Chapter 7

Noctis felt a hand curl around his shoulder, however the gentle touch Ignis provided was not welcomed, and he quickly shrugged his hand away. "I said, I'm fine," he growled.

Ignis sighed; anyone who spoke that way and claimed to be fine was very clearly lying. "Noct, I know you're struggling with this, but it isn't as if you and Prompto won't still be the best of friends-"

"Ignis. It doesn't...you don't get it...just go away."

"Noct..."

"You've never had a bond ripped from you before."

"No...I have not." The look on Ignis' face said he couldn't even pretend to understand.

Noctis had stopped crying about how much ripping the bond between him and Prompto had hurt, but now he wanted to fall asleep for as long as he possibly could. Maybe forever, maybe he would just never wake up. Or maybe he would wake up right now, and all of this would've been a horrible nightmare.

"So please...just leave me alone."

A sigh slipped from Ignis' lips. "Alright, but if you need anything, please, don't hesitate-"

"Yeah, Yeah," Noctis grumbled, rolling onto his side.

Hearing the door click behind him, Noctis groaned and buried his face into the pillow. It wasn't fair; it wasn't fair at all, and those words kept repeating in his head. All he wanted was to hold Prompto tight, close to his body, and cling to him. He was supposed to be Prompto's Alpha, and even with the bond ripped away, it was hard to let go of the connection which had been so intense between them.

He rolled onto his side and stared at the golden wristlets wrapped around his skin. He slipped them off, and stared at his markings once more. They hadn't looked so ugly when they were combined with Prompto’s. His flame-like marks had intertwined with Prompto's flowing Omega ocean waves, and it had looked so much better, as if Prompto's marks had calmed his down.

He sat up slowly, his tail swishing back and forth as he watched the snow swirling around outside his window. It was so damn cold out, but it felt colder inside, lonely. If only they hadn't made the stupid bond, he never would've known what he was missing. But now that it was gone, it only made things worse.

Puffing out his cheeks, he flopped back onto the bed, staring up at the marks on his pale wrists. If only he wasn't the damn prince, none of this would've happened.

He wondered if he could go see Prompto, sneak into his room like they had always done when they were kids. It had always been a challenge, to stay awake long enough to be certain Ignis, Gladio and many of the other servants in the palace had gone to bed. Then, Noctis would turn the handle on his door knob and sneak down the hall, slipping into Prompto's room. The blond would always be awake, scooting over in bed to immediately make room for Noctis.

He'd jump in and take Prompto's hands, promising they would always be together, no matter what, that was the plan; to always be together.

And when they'd grown older, they'd occasionally add kissing to the mix. Small pecks against Prompto's lips had always made his heart flutter more than he would ever admit.

He couldn't imagine being with anyone but Prompto. He'd thought a few times here and there about kissing Luna. He could imagine her lips were probably very soft, and he could picture her pale, beautiful face flushing at the action, but it didn't make his heart flutter. It didn't make him want to kiss her more.

Ignis had offered to help during ruts, which Noctis knew he was supposed to take advantage of if needed, but it felt so strange. Ignis was his advisor...and they were close, yes, but not in that way. Noctis could barely even imagine it.

No, he wanted Prompto, an impossible desire.

And it wasn't like he could sneak into his room now if he wanted anyway. Prompto was still in heat, which meant he'd be locked in his room and guarded by Gladio, Ignis or someone else.

He let out a soft growl. He just wanted to make sure Prompto was okay. Neither of them had cried so hard in years. Of course, breaking the bond had been incredibly painful, and both of them had complained about the pain, and since neither of them had actually wanted to break the bond, it had only made matters worse.

Noctis just hated the idea of Prompto crying alone.

At some point, Noctis drifted into a deep sleep, his head pressed against the fluffy pillows. His bed carried him to a deep dreamland, until there was a loud rap on the door, jolting him from his sleep.

"Noct! Hey, Noct! I don't know what the hell you two think you're doing, but you open this damn door right now." Gladio's voice was loud, angry, and yet there was a bit of panic Noctis could hear.

"Alright, alright," he grumbled. "Give me a minute." He slowly rolled himself out of bed, his robes slipping off his shoulder as he yawned once again, and stretched up.

"No ‘minute’. Open this damn door _now_!" Gladio hissed, pounding on the door once again.

"Okay, okay, geez!" Noctis grumbled, and swung the door open fast, staring at a very angry Gladio.

Pushing past Noctis, Gladio stormed into the room, sniffing the air, looking at Noctis' bed. "Where the hell is he?" Gladio snapped.

"What?" Noctis asked slowly, attempting to rub the sleep from his eye. "Where is who?" he mumbled, yawning again, smacking his lips together one time.

" _Prompto_ ," Gladio hissed. "I know the two of you. I know ya' think you're sneaky, waiting until everyone sleeps, but I know you two sneak out of your rooms at night sometimes. So where the hell is he?”

"Gladio..." Noctis grumbled, glancing around his room. "Prompto isn't here, you guys locked him away in his room to finish his heat." He folded his arms, turning away from the angry Alpha.

"Yeah, well he's not there anymore, and I've been looking all over for him!"

Noctis' face paled, and he could tell from Gladio's expression, that Gladio finally believed him. Prompto was missing. He wasn't in his room, and he certainly wasn't in Noctis' room, so where the hell had his best friend gone?

~~

A chill ran down Noctis' spine as he stared at the unlatched window, it wasn't opened, but it sure as hell wasn't locked. "You didn't...notice this when you came in?" Noctis huffed, glaring at Gladio.

"Hell no," the larger Alpha scoffed. "I checked around, but I didn't think he’d jump out the goddamn window." The room was only on the second floor, and with the bustling winds and snow banks rising, it wasn't a long fall to the ground. And with the snow still falling, it was impossible to see if there were any footprints leading out beyond the window.

"Dammit," Noctis growled, his fists curling around the ledge. "We gotta find him, we gotta-"

"Noct, we don't even know if he went out the window. It's possible he's somewhere else in the palace-"

"Where the hell else would he be, Gladio?" the teen hissed, his tail flicking back and forth in anger.

"I dunno, _Noct_ ," he growled back, immediately growing defensive.

"You had him locked in a room, he probably felt trapped-"

"So he jumped out the window?" Gladio snorted. "I find that hard to believe. It's freezing out there."

"Exactly," Noctis grumbled. "I don't think he jumped. I think someone took him."

Gladio raised his eyebrow, his ear twitching. He snorted, and bit on his lip trying not to laugh. "Who the hell would take _Prompto_? You're the prince, if anyone was going to get taken, it would be _you_."

Noctis' ears folded back, his mind flashing to Ardyn Izunia, the man who had been at the palace only a few days prior. He could've been staying in the area, he could've taken Prompto. But really when Noctis thought about it...anyone could've taken Prompto. Lucians hated foxes, and if people were aware of Prompto's presence in the palace, then it was truly fair game for anyone.

"What is going on in here? Noctis? What are you doing in Prompto's room? You're not supposed to be in here-" Ignis paused, witnessing the scene in front of him, his ears twitching up. "Gladio? Noct? What is going on in here? Where's...Prompto?"

"Someone kidnapped him," Noctis grumbled, speaking bluntly.

Ignis' eyes widened, and he immediately folded his arms. "Now Noctis, there's no reason to overreact. The two of you sneak out of your rooms all the time, there must be some way he got out."

Noctis' ears folded against his head. "Does everyone know about this?"

Ignis nodded. "Mostly."

With a sigh, Noctis began to pace around the room slowly. "No we'd just...sneak out. There's not a secret way. If you had his door locked and guarded, there would be no other way for him to get out besides the window..." he muttered.

"I'll speak to whoever the guard was last night then, perhaps he wasn't diligent-"

"Iggy, you know no one in my guard would be so careless," Gladio scoffed.

"So what is your alternative thought, I don't believe Prompto would run away," Ignis muttered, making his way over to the window as he examined the lock. "However it...does not look broken..."

A growl erupted from Noctis throat, his tail swishing back and forth angrily. "No," he grunted. "There's no damn way Prompto would ever run away."

"Perhaps...he needed space. After the events from the evening prior, it's possible he needed some time to himself-"

"No!" Noctis repeated, slamming his eyes shut. He tried to imagine Prompto running around by himself in the cold. Maybe he had stepped away from the castle and gotten lost? No...Prompto would never leave like that. Noctis couldn't even begin to imagine Prompto doing something so...out of character. "Someone took him," he repeated. "He'd never leave me!"

"Noct," Gladio mumbled. "Prompto was in a lot of pain last night. You both were."

"You have to consider the possibility that maybe...just maybe, he needed space from you," Ignis added gently.

Noctis felt a rage building from deep inside, and he panted, his breath shaky on his lips. "No...you don't understand. We _promised_ to always be together and-"

"Breaking the bond is almost like breaking a promise such as that," Ignis muttered, giving Noctis' shoulder a squeeze.

The prince jerked away from him immediately. "But it wasn't my choice! It wasn't either of our choices! I-I didn't reject him! He- He wouldn't!" Tears began to well up in Noctis' eyes, his face turning red. He knew he was far too old to be crying, but the more time passed the more worried he became. "I-I don't care what the two of you do, I'm going to look for him. I _know_ he didn't leave on purpose!" he snapped, pushing past his two friends.

Ignis however, was quick to grab the prince's arm. "Noctis," he warned gently. "Wait a moment."

"No! The longer I wait the farther away he could get."

Ignis sighed, glancing towards Gladio. "I understand your fear, but for now, you need to stay here, alright?"

"What?" he said, glancing between the two of them. "Why?"

"If...someone did take Prompto, it is highly possible they were actually attempting to kidnap you. If that is the case, we need you to stay here, safe guarded and protected-"

"But Prompto and I look nothing alike!" he yelled, his tail flicking to and fro as he bit down hard on his own lip.

"It's possible in the darkness the kidnapper was confused. These are all speculations. Either way, until we have more information, you are to go back to your room. I am going to speak to your father and Gladio will send out a search party. Do you understand?" Ignis explained.

A heavy sigh slipped from Noctis lips. Once again, he felt completely useless. His best friend was missing, and all he could do was sit in his room and wait. What if Prompto thought he didn’t care?

"Noct?" Ignis repeated when he didn't answer.

"Yeah, I get it," he grumbled, pushing past Ignis once more to head back towards his room.

His advisor was of course, following quickly behind. "Noctis I know you're concerned about your friend, but I do believe this will be the best plan of action in the long run. This way, we can keep you safe, and bring Prompto back safely as well."

"I said I get it, Iggy," he snapped, storming back down the hall so he could sit uselessly in his room.

~~

"You don't really think the kid got kidnapped, do ya' Iggy?" Gladio asked, once they'd settled the prince into a room and moved forward towards the throne room.

"I highly doubt it," Ignis muttered. "I believe Prompto was deeply hurt by the activities of last night, and he probably thought it better to run away."

"That's what I was thinkin'. The kid really loves our prince, ya' know..." Gladio grumbled, rubbing the back of his head. "Those idiots...what the hell were they thinkin'?"

"They weren't Gladio," Ignis scoffed. "Prompto hit his heat surprisingly early, and Noctis, having just barely finished his rut was overwhelmed and mated him. We were careless, for letting them be so close when the timing had been what it was."

"Lesson learned," Gladio grumbled, stepping forward to keep in time with Ignis' brisk walk.

He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "Still, even if Prompto did run away, Noctis has a point. The fox is incredibly devoted to the prince, there is no way he would wish to stay away, and he could potentially be lost. I am certain of that. We should send out a search party as initially suggested."

"I'll clear it with the king," Gladio mumbled, glancing out the windows they passed by. The snow was flurrying down fast, and Gladio was concerned about the temperature...if Prompto had been out all night...

Ignis knocked on the door, entering the throne room as he bowed. "We, Ignis Scientia and Gladiolus Amicitia request an audience with you, sire," Ignis said, his voice booming in his throat.

"Ah good," Regis said, waving his hand for them to approach the throne. "I was about to call for you two. Ignis, I take it the bond breaking was...successful last night?"

Ignis' ears flicked quickly, pressing against his head as he looked towards the ground. "Yes, your majesty. The boys are no longer connected."

Regis sighed, rubbing his forehead as he slouched in his chair. It was a rare sight, seeing the King so vulnerable, so tired, and Ignis recognized how taxing the entire situation had been on everyone.

"Thank goodness," Regis said. "It can't be easy for either of them. I heard the pain can last for days if you've been mated for a longer amount of time."

Ignis bit his lip, his ears folding against his head. "I suppose it was for the best we had them do it immediately then."

"Unfortunately yes," Regis said softly. "I wanted to save them as much pain as possible, though I know...it doesn't change how painful it is to break a bond with someone you truly love." Pushing himself up, Regis began to trudge down the stairs, gently sighing once more. "I would've been a fool to not notice the powerful emotions shard between my son and that boy. If times had been different...if things were calmer, in a different time, I never would've..."

"I think we are well aware this was not an easy decision, sire," Ignis agreed, watching the King move slowly towards them. He looked exhausted, worry painted across the wrinkles on his face.

"I, of course, wish for my son to love whomever he chooses but unfortunately...our duty to our throne cannot allow for such a union...at this time," Regis paused, taking a minute to look out the window.

Ignis heard Gladio scoff behind him momentarily, and Ignis knew exactly what that meant. In this world, sometimes duty needed to be upheld before they could choose just who they wished to love. Both Ignis and Gladio were not strangers to the concept.

"How...are they?" Regis asked, a small smile on his face, trying to look hopeful.

"About...that," Ignis muttered, clearing his throat. "Your son is...quite angry, for many reasons."

"That is to be expected," Regis muttered. "As an Alpha, I'm sure it pained him to not protect his supposed mate."

"Well, yes, but you see..." Ignis began, trying to figure out how exactly to word the situation. "About Prompto..."

"Yes? What about the fox?" Regis said, re-taking his seat on the throne.

"It seems...he has gone missing," Ignis muttered.

Regis eyes widened, staring at the men before him. "Missing? Missing...how? I thought you were locking him in his own personal room? Have you checked all over the palace? Perhaps he shifted to hide somewhere with a tight fit-" Regis began mumbling to himself, attempting to breeze through all the possibilities for where the teenage fox could've gone.

"Noctis seems to think he was kidnapped," Ignis said, speaking as clearly as he could.

"Kidnapped?" Regis responded, incredulous.

"He claims Prompto would never run away from him, but after last evening I am not so sure," Ignis said softly. "It could be he couldn't handle the rejection..."

"Was he locked in his room last night as instructed for his heat?" Regis asked, trying to piece together what could've happened.

"Indeed," Ignis said. "We made sure everything was all set, a Beta guard was in place. This morning however, we did notice that the latch for Prompto's window was open though it wasn't broken. This leads me to believe he left of his own volition."

Regis' eyes glanced downwards, his fingers tapping at his chin. "Gladio, can you get a search pack together to head outside of the palace to look for him? Ignis, gather a few guards to begin checking smaller areas of the palace." Ignis saw the whites of Regis' knuckles pulse as he curled his hands around the throne, squeezing tight.

"Immediately, sire," Gladio nodded, bowing his head.

"Splendid. We will find Prompto," Regis said with determination. "Both of you are dismissed, but Ignis, please keep me updated, and keep an eye on my son. I don't want him doing anything...rash," Regis finished.

"Understood," Ignis said, bowing once more with Gladio as the two took their leave.

A sigh slipped from Ignis' lips as he stopped walking, glancing out the window near the throne room. "We have to find him. I fear what will happen to Noct if we do not."

"Gods Iggy, we're going to find him, okay?" Gladio said, placing a gentle hand on Ignis' shoulder. His thumb brushed over his clothes, his golden eyes looking at him sweetly. "I got the best team of guards around," he smirked, trying to exude as much confidence as possible.

"I sure hope..." Ignis muttered, keeping his green eyes focused on the flurrying snow. "If you do find him...you find him alive."

Neither had anything to say after that.

~~

The snow blustered around Gladio's dark brown coat, his fur doing little to protect him from the raging cold. The flakes of frozen water glistened against his eyes, and even with his heightened senses, this was going to be a difficult task.

He had called for the guard, saying they needed to look for the prince's best friend, the tiny fox. A few of the guard had scoffed under their breath, but Gladio had let out a sharp growl. "He worked harder than most of you shits did, so we're gonna look for 'im," Gladio scoffed, and had immediately called for all of them to shift. They'd be better hunting as a pack in this snow, and Gladio didn't wish to lose any of the other members of the guard.

Ignis had stayed behind to watch Noctis, who had very intensely insisted on joining them, only to be rejected by both Ignis and Gladio. The prince had just come of age to join hunts, there was absolutely no way he'd be a part of the search party for Prompto, not in this weather.

He shook off the snow which had begun to gather in his fur and put his nose up, sniffing at the air. If only there was some sign, _any_ sign of Prompto's scent. For once, Gladio was happy the little fox was in heat, then maybe they had a chance of catching his scent.

A gust of wind picked up, and Gladio began to march forward, many of the wolves following behind him. They had come around to Prompto's window, where the boy would've jumped out, but it was impossible to decipher where he could've gone from there. Visibility was horrible, and Gladio began to take off at a run. It had been hours since they'd split up Prompto and Noctis, so really Prompto could've been anywhere.

Gladio dashed through the snow, his nose moving from the ground to the air in an attempt to catch a scent, but all he could smell was the icy air, and the snowflakes which blew past his eyes. He let out a howl, and took off running, heading closer to the forest. If they went too far north it would lead to Tenebrae, and too far south would head closer to Niflheim. Knowing Prompto, if he had run away, he probably would've made for Niflheim, thinking he could find somewhere to 'belong' if he ran to the foxes.

Idiot. Gladio hoped they found Prompto alive so he could kill him himself.

He understood why the fox was distressed, or at least he could attempt to understand. The idea of breaking a mated bond was horrible to anyone. Actually witnessing it happen, seeing the way Prompto fell to his knees, clutching at his wrists, Gladio could only imagine how much pain the boy was in. It didn't help that he knew the fox was completely in love with Noctis. Gladio sure as hell didn't know why, but he did know how it felt to not be allowed to be with the one person you wanted to be with.

It sucked, but Gladio never would've run away, hell he was going to keep fighting for Ignis. Not that Prompto had the luxury to do that. Eventually Ignis would have the ability to take a mate with whomever he chose. Noctis, however, would be forced to mate with Lunafreya, or someone else of that caliber. Still, Gladio hadn't pegged Prompto for a coward. Not at all. Not with the way he cared so much for the prince, and the way he had worked so much harder than the others. Would he really give that up? He couldn't imagine Prompto not wanting to be by his prince's side, even if he wasn't capable of being his mate.

Stopping at a clearing of trees, Gladio circled around the area, tilting his nose up towards the sky. Still nothing. A frustrated huff slipped from his lips, his hot breath curling into the air in front of him.

A thought tugged at his mind; maybe Noctis had been right. Maybe...Prompto had been kidnapped. It was absolutely ridiculous to think about though, because they were always on guard around the palace, and if Prompto had been taken by force through his window, someone would've heard some kind of a struggle, or at least the guard at the front of his door would've, right?

Gladio shook his fur again, shaking the snow away. What a ridiculous notion. There was absolutely no way Prompto had been actually kidnapped. And just who would've taken him?

His heart throbbed in his chest; the further they got from the palace with no sign of him, the more Gladio began to believe this was a losing battle. Panting, he let out a sad howl, turning towards the sky. They'd been searching for hours at this point, and the sun was beginning to dip below the horizon. They couldn't stay out much longer, and if they didn't find him now and Prompto was...still alive, by now he would've been long gone, maybe already back to Niflheim.

The pack began to howl in time with Gladio, signaling they were all accounted for and ready to head back. Gladio paused, sniffing around the clearing for one more moment, as though he'd actually caught a whiff of something. And yet the air smelled completely empty.

When they arrived back at the palace, Noctis was the first to greet the pack, practically collapsing off of the porch into the snow.

"Noctis!" Ignis called out, jumping down to follow after the eager prince.

"Gladio! Did you find him?!"

Shaking out his fur once more, Gladio tilted his head back as his body slowly morphed back to its human form. "..." he turned away, his hair brushing against his face in the freezing wind. "Sorry, kid," he muttered.

Noctis' eyes were wide, his dark ears folding down against his head as he took a step back. "Y-You couldn't...find him?" he said finally, his voice sounding strained.

Gladio shook his head. The prince's eyes were broken, trembling with tears that threatened to fall as he took another step back.

"Noctis, we should-"

"Don't tell me what I _should_ do!" he growled, stepping back up as he stormed back down the hall, disappearing deeper into the palace.

Ignis' silver ears folded down against his hair, and his gaze was morose. Gladio hated the deep sadness which flickered across Ignis' eyes, as though Gladio had let him down. Gladio hated that look, and would've done anything to remove the sad emotions painting Ignis' face.

"No sign...no...trace?" Ignis spoke finally.

"Nothing..." Gladio mumbled. "Look Iggy, it kills me just as much as it kills him, and you. Prompto is..." he paused, "was a good candidate for the guard. He worked hard...I mean...I trained him myself I...I don't like this either..."

"I just...can't believe he would run away. I can't imagine he would be so...foolish. And to leave Noctis behind seems so out of character..." Ignis mused.

"I know..."

"You don't think..." Ignis said, his green eyes peering through his frames. Gladio knew what he was implying.

"I don't know, Iggy. There were guards all over the place...I don't really know what to think," Gladio babbled. Assuming Prompto was dead was far too painful for any of them.

"I...should check on Noct, make sure he's okay," Ignis said, immediately trying to focus on something else.

Gladio sighed, knowing Noctis wasn't going to be receptive to talking to anyone based on how he had stormed off. "I'll check in with the King."

"Yes, King Regis will want to know of your findings," Ignis agreed, the two stepping back into the palace, expecting very unpleasant conversations.

~~

The hole in Noctis' heart had grown even larger in a short amount of time. The pain he had felt splitting his bond with Prompto was nothing in comparison to thinking Prompto was gone, maybe even forever.

Thinking about it made Noctis' head spin. He would never smell Prompto again, he'd never touch his hand or kiss his lips. They'd never sneak way from Noctis' duties and spend time together hiding out in secret parts of the palace. He'd never see the smile which had brought him so much sunshine. Even when things were frustratingly bad, Noctis could always count on Prompto to cheer him up. They wouldn't be mates, but at least Prompto could've been here?!

Who was going to make Noctis smile now?

He'd stormed away from Gladio after the news had been delivered that there had been no trace of Prompto. Nothing. It seemed impossible. And finding nothing only meant one of two things. Prompto had legitimately run away and wasn't coming back, or the alternative, Prompto was...

Noctis felt a throbbing on his wrists, the pain constricting his chest. He couldn't say the word, let alone think it. He couldn't be, Prompto was better than that, was stronger than that, even if he was a small fox.

Clenching his fists, he swung the door open to his room and quickly slammed it behind him. Prompto would never have chosen to leave him. Never. Noctis couldn't believe it. His original theory still stood true. Prompto had to have been taken.

There were multiple knocks on his door, but each time Ignis called out, Noctis would yell at him to go away and leave him alone. He couldn't talk to anyone right now, he wasn't sure if he even had a voice. He wouldn't know what to say. So instead, he lay on his bed, staring at the empty spot where he and Prompto would lay.

The ghost of their laughter echoed in the room, and at some point, tears had begun to stream down Noctis face.

"What the hell am I supposed to do without you, Prom?" Noctis mumbled.

"Noctis?" The door opened, King Regis slowly stepping into the room, and Noctis immediately jerked up, glaring angrily at his father.

He quickly wiped his eyes, not wanting his father to notice any sort of water falling from them. His ears folded against his head as he glanced away. "I don't have anything to say."

"I understand, but I do," Regis said, stepping into the room. He moved forward and took a seat on Noctis' bed, sighing. "I know you're hurting right now my son-"

"You have no idea how I'm feeling," Noctis hissed. "I told you how Prompto and I felt and you didn't care," he growled. Finally, his dark blue eyes met his father's and he glared, his tail flicking back and forth.

"Noctis-" Regis warned, though his tone held more sadness than Noctis could fully process.

"And now...and now Prompto is _missing_!" Noctis said, his voice growing louder, the tears threatening to fall. "Gladio looked for him and they couldn't find him and who knows how long he's been gone. But I know he was kidnapped. Prompto wouldn't leave me!"

"Noctis, it's possible the pain of breaking the bond was too much for him and-"

"No," Noctis said, clenching his fists against the bed sheets. "Prompto would never leave me. He wouldn't. I don't know why no one believes me, but we promised. We. Promised. And he would never-"

"Noctis, I'm so sorry. I know this is difficult news to receive. Perhaps once the spring comes we can-"

"NO," he snapped. "Leave me alone. All of this is your fault anyway," he snapped, and stormed out of his room leaving his father behind.

The King was the last person Noctis wanted to speak to. Hell he didn't want to talk to anyone, unless he was hearing Prompto's sweet, bubbly voice.

He stopped at Prompto's room, and slowly entered. It was faint, but it still smelled like him, his scent had always been strongest during his heat. Noctis' ears folded down. He couldn't imagine this room being empty.

Slowly, he made his way over to the window, peering out the edge. Maybe...Maybe Gladio hadn't looked hard-enough?! Noctis knew all the places Prompto loved in the palace and the gardens, maybe he was hiding, needing some time to be alone. Noctis certainly had after that damn ceremony.

Or worse, maybe Prompto was roaming around the woods completely lost, terrified and his instincts had told him to stay away from a large pack of wolves.

If he'd been kidnapped, none of those were a possibility, but Noctis wondered if maybe, just maybe, he'd be better off looking himself.

He flicked the latch open and gripped the edge of the window. The drop was small, since there was so much snow climbing slowly up the wall, and Noctis leaned forward, ready to start his own search.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Gladio's voice made Noctis freeze in place, as though he were a tree covered in ice.

With a growl, Noctis slowly turned around, glaring at the other Alpha. "I'm going to go look for Prompto myself."

"Oh no you're not. If you go out there, you'll probably die. You wanna die?" Gladio snapped, storming over to the window to close it shut.

"Noctis, what are you doing in here?" Ignis asked, stepping into the room. "Come, let’s go back to your room-"

"Stop!" Noctis snapped. "Stop treating me like I'm a child. I'm an adult, and I should be allowed to make my own decisions."

"You're 16, Noct, hardly an adult," Gladio snorted.

"Prompto...could be out there...dying or maybe he's...I can't just sit here and do nothing," he said, glancing towards the floor. He hated that he was crying again, and he hated even more that Ignis wrapped his arms around him to hug him.

"Oh Noctis. I know this is incredibly hard to deal with but...we cannot allow you to go out in the freezing cold. Gladio will send another search party out tomorrow, and they'll try again, alright?"

Clinging to Ignis, Noctis let the tears fall against his shoulder. He knew there was no way he could win. He'd never be with Prompto again, and really it was all his fault. He'd been the one who couldn't control his stupid knot. If he hadn't mated Prompto none of this would've happened, and Prompto still would've been laughing by his side, just as they had promised.

"Yeah..." he mumbled.

"We'll...find him...or figure out what happened," Ignis comforted, but Noctis wasn't so sure.

Never before in his life had Noctis ever felt so trapped and helpless.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is kinda the end of the first part of this story! Things are gonna be a little different from here on out, but I hope that you guys still enjoy and stick with me through the angst. I do promise this story has a happy ending! <3 Thank you to everyone for reading my sad stuff LOL! And thank you to Adriana for betaing as always!


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now, two years later, Noctis still has not come to terms with the loss of Prompto.

"Your first time leading the hunt!" Ignis was all smiles, preening and preparing the prince. "How are you feeling?" His hands smoothed out Noctis' robes and gently brushed through his hair, making sure every piece was properly stuck in place.

Noctis flicked his tail back and forth, his lips pursing. "It's whatever."

"Noctis. This is a great honor to be leading the hunt with your father finally, now that you're 18-"

"Iggy, I already said, it's whatever," Noctis grunted, stepping off the dressing stand. He adjusted his golden wristlets, loosening them around his wrists, and turned back towards Ignis. "I don't think these hunts are a big deal."

A sigh left Ignis' lips. He understood, he really did, and yet, he wished Noctis would at least _try_ to look a little more...enthused. "I know it is...not ideal and yet, you are the prince and soon-"

"Soon I'll be ruling over Lucis and I'll be the one leading the hunts so it's important to follow my father and blah blah blah. Ignis, I know," Noctis said.

"Mmm I know you've heard _that_ a million times, but what I was going to say was that the people will be looking to you to be the next leader and-"

"I know."

"You need to be ready to take on that responsibility. Your father is not getting any younger and-"

"I. know."

"And before you know it you will be king. You'll need to be sure you are mated and-"

"Enough, Ignis. I get it," Noctis snapped, and stormed away from him. He pushed his door open, only to slam it behind him.

He knew it was rude, and really, being 18 now meant he was supposedly a true adult, he had no more time for these childish antics. Ignis hadn't meant him any harm. Of everyone he knew in his life at this point, Ignis cared for him the most.

And still...

He glanced down at the golden bands which covered his wrists, and gently pushed them back. His fiery Alpha markings looked so bare, uninteresting, and they snaked around his wrists as though they were suffocating his hands. In the past two years, he'd come to hate the markings.

"Noctis? What are you doing?"

"Father!" Noctis grunted, quickly pushing the wristlet back into place. "I, uh, just finished getting dressed for the hunt."

King Regis beamed, looking down at his son. "I can see that," he smiled. "Ignis, as always, has done a splendid job. How are you feeling?" he asked with a smile, leaning towards his son. "Are you feeling ready to finally lead the hunt with me?"

"Sure," Noctis mumbled.

"I was expecting a little bit more enthusiasm than that," Regis admitted with a sad chuckle.

"I don't know. I guess?" Noctis said, pushing his lips into a smile.

"Are you nervous, son?" he asked, his tone softening. Noctis' ears immediately folded back as he glanced at his father's caring eyes. Noctis disliked when his father looked at him as such, like he cared about his feelings. He'd come to learn quickly that his thoughts and desires didn't matter, at least, not as much as preparing him for the throne did.

"Not exactly. It's...just a hunt," Noctis said. He turned his face away from his father, flicking his tail back and forth. "I've been on plenty."

"I know, but I do also know that it can be stressful," he paused, hesitating for a moment as though he were searching for the proper word to use, "to lead..." he finished.

Of course his father probably had very little faith in Noctis' ability to do so. After 18 years, he hadn't shown much interest in being the next leader of their clan, and frankly, had someone given him the opportunity, Noctis would've jumped at the chance to be anyone else.

Maybe then he still would've been with...

He shook the thought from his mind. It had been two years, and he knew he had to 'get over it', but the thoughts and memories often tugged at his mind and made his wrists ache.

"I'll be fine. And hey, if I'm not, you'll be right there to fix my mistakes, right?" he said, his tone more clipped than he meant, his tail swishing back and forth in frustration.

"Noctis...that was not what I meant," Regis said gently.

"I'm fine. I'll see you in a few hours," he said, making his way towards the training area.

"Try not to spar, Noctis, you wouldn't want to upset Ignis after he worked so hard on your outfit," Regis called after him, but Noctis ignored the statement.

Clenching his fists, Noctis walked more briskly down the hall, the jingling of his ribbons and jewelry echoing in the corridor, the noises making him even more frustrated. Hell, he was frustrated enough with both his father and Ignis, he wouldn't have minded ‘ruining’ Ignis’ hard work.

He wondered if his rut was on the horizon, they usually did link up with hunts. Whether or not he was close to one or not, he felt so angry and frustrated, though often when his father was involved, Noctis felt a stirring of rage, boiling deep down in his stomach.

Even two years later, Noctis blamed him, no matter how immature the thoughts were. It was easier to blame his father rather than himself.

He stopped walking when he passed _his_ room. It had been empty for years, and Noctis wanted to keep it that way for as long as he could. It had to be empty, just in case…just in case he came back.

The timing didn’t matter, Noctis still believed it could happen.

He wasn’t surprised when he found Gladio swinging his sword in the training courtyard. Before hunts, it was normal for Alphas to get antsy, and Gladio, being _still_ un-mated now at 23 was often the most frustrated of them all.

"Someone looks pretty," Gladio snorted, shoving his sword into the ground. He chuckled at his own joke, folding his arms. "Iggy really went ham on ya’," he laughed. "He does realize we’re going on a _hunt_ not to a damn ball?"

Noctis plopped down onto one of the benches with a huff. "Who cares," he grumbled, resting his head against his palm.

"Okay _Princess_ ," Gladio said. "What the hell’s up your ass? Shouldn’t you be excited about leading your first hunt tonight?"

Noctis raised his eyebrow. "Gladio, when have I ever been excited for any sort of ‘royal duties’?"

"Fair enough," Gladio said, collapsing onto the bench next to him. Sweat glistened on his brow, and his muscular chest heaved up and down slightly. He was panting, though for Gladio he hadn’t been exerting himself very much.

Perhaps Gladio himself was close to a rut as well? Noctis couldn’t imagine they were easy for the man.

"It’ll be good for you I think," Gladio said finally, catching his breath. "Freeing. You don’t…shift often," Gladio murmured.

"Not as much as you," Noctis chuckled. The prince was convinced Gladio would’ve lived as a wolf if he could’ve. Gladio sighed and rubbed his hands through his hair. "A man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do," he chuckled. 

"Heh, yeah," Noctis mumbled.

It was useless to ask Gladio why he had chose to not take a mate, not when Noctis knew the older Alpha was irrevocably in love with Ignis. Gladio had promised Ignis on many occasions he’d wait for him. No matter how long it took for Noctis to take a mate, Gladio had promised, even if his ruts were practically unbearable. As far as Noctis knew, the two had even stopped sleeping together during Gladio’s ruts, because the older the Alpha grew, the harder a time he had controlling his knot.

Noctis, of course, felt guilty. He had told Ignis he could mate with Gladio if he desired, but to no one’s surprise, Ignis had rejected the offer every time. It was his duty to help Noctis until he officially took a mate, and Ignis wasn’t about to let that go.

At this point, it didn’t matter much, since Lunafreya would be arriving in Lucis within a few weeks to finalize their union. Soon, Noctis would have a mate.

"Ya’ nervous?" Gladio asked, breaking Noctis from his thoughts.

Jerking up, the jewelry dangling from his headpiece smacked him in the face, and he huffed out. "Not exactly," he said.

"So what’s eatin’ ya?" Gladio asked.

Noctis puffed out his cheeks. "I don’t know? I don’t like…how fast everything is happening," he complained. "I guess I just never thought I’d be 18, about to be mated to a girl I’ve only spent time with here and there, leading hunts…closer and closer to being...king."

"I never thought you would either," Gladio snorted.

"I don't like it," Noctis grunted, folding his arms.

"Ya' had to grow up sooner or later," Gladio said. "And look, I'm gonna be there, and Iggy knows all about hunts, even if he's never been on one," he snorted.

Noctis let out a soft chuckle. "Iggy knows about everything."

"I know right? He's amazing," Gladio sighed.

"Amazing, eh?" Noctis grinned, nudging at the older Alpha.

"Yeah, I said it," Gladio smirked, looking rather proud of himself. Noctis smirked back, his blue eyes twinkling with a knowing look. "Hey man, he's gonna be my mate soon."

Noctis glanced down, a pang of guilt hitting him in the chest. "Yeah...sorry," he muttered.

"Ya' don't gotta apologize." Sighing, Gladio pushed himself up. "It was me who said I would wait."

Noctis knew that was the truth, still, it didn't stop him from feeling guilty about it. Noctis was able to do stuff with Ignis whenever he pleased, (though he purposefully hadn’t) while Gladio had been waiting for years to give Ignis his knot.

"Yeah I guess," he sighed.

"Look, Noct, the hunt is going to go well, and things with Lunafreya will be fine. I'm...I'm sure you guys will hit it off. You were friends whenever you hung out as kids," Gladio urged.

"Yeah but friends is really different from _mates_ ," Noctis sighed, pushing himself up as he tried to adjust the stupid costume. "I...miss him, Gladio. I miss him so damn much." He bit down hard on his lip, his fists clenching. "He should be here, doing this with us, doing this with _me_."

He glanced down at the golden wristlets, imagining how his marks looked. It had been so long, he was starting to forget how they looked back when he and Prompto had been mated. It had been so much more intricate, so much more beautiful. It had felt _right_ , and even now his wrists still felt bare. He was starting to forget what it had once looked like for such a short period of time. Luna's marks would be there soon, and who knew what they would look like.

"I know, Noct. I miss him too, he was a great part of the guard and..." Gladio trailed off. They'd talked about it so much. They'd talked about it in circles actually, and Noctis didn't need to hear the same things over and over again, especially not when he was clearly thinking about the boy.

"I just wish I...knew...I wish we had found something, anything," he muttered. "Sometimes when I shift I still smell for him, and I still look for him, expect him to just pop up out of nowhere. And sometimes in my room at night, I expect the door to open and..." he paused, squeezing his hand over his wrist. "You know what, it's stupid. Just forget it," Noctis muttered.

"Noct," Gladio said softly.

"I gotta get ready for this stupid...hunt."

"Hey now, it won't be stupid, you'll be great alright? You're my trainee and nothin' you do on a hunt will be dumb."

It didn't matter to Noctis how well he did on the hunt. He just wanted to find Prompto and bring him back. That's all he'd wanted for the past two years. But those thoughts, those ideas, they were dumb, and pointless. His life had been decided for him, and there was no point in focusing on something he couldn't change.

~~

The full moon began to rise at sunset, and the wolves had gathered on the main steps of the palace. Normally the main noble Alphas and the guard participated in the hunt, meeting in the clearing behind the palace, though since it was Noctis' first time leading, they of course, had to make a spectacle of things.

He was supposed to give a speech about how this hunt would be prosperous, but Noctis had no desire to speak on such things. Really he never had much of a desire to speak, especially to a large crowd of people. He'd have to learn though, as soon he would be taking over for his father.

His father was such an eloquent man, and he held a poise Noctis had never been able to find. He often wondered what his father had been like as a child. Had they been more similar? Maybe one day he would have the potential to be a better king than he was now, perhaps his father had grown into the role. Ignis was constantly telling him he believed in him and trusted him, but Noctis wasn't really so sure. Ignis had been tutoring him, trying to help him grow as a king. It wasn't as if he wanted to do it, but after everything that had happened two years ago, Noctis had become far more resigned.

But by far, the worst part of eventually becoming king was the fact that he actually had to deliver speeches and give talks to the general public.

After his speech, Noctis would then lead the shift, and take off into the forest, hoping to have a well-executed hunt. Hunts were tradition, something to remember how their ancestors were forced to survive, but they were mostly pointless. It helped with shifting, since everyone was forced to shift during the full moon, but they didn't actually eat. It was possible for them to shift whenever they pleased, some chose to stay shifted most of the time, and some chose to only shift during the full moon. Gladio often liked to shift during ruts, to work off steam, and though Noctis had tried that, it hadn't really worked as well for him.

He supposed it wasn't a horrible thing Lunafreya would be arriving at the palace soon. Even though he had no idea how he would feel about her.

"You ready, kid?" Gladio's hand smacked against his back, and Noctis choked, lurching forward.

"Y-Yeah..." he muttered. Gladio was well aware of how Noctis was actually feeling.

"You're gonna be fine," he smirked, as Regis stepped out from inside the palace. 

"Hello, Noctis. Are you prepared to speak?" Regis asked.

A sigh left Noctis' lips. "Yeah. I am."

"Good. I have complete faith in your abilities. Ignis has told me you've been working very hard," Regis smiled.

"Oh yeah, he has," Gladio smirked, nudging Noctis' side. "Been practically spending all his time cooped up with Iggy or training with me."

"Good," Regis smiled. "Perhaps we should begin then?" he said, turning his gaze up towards the sky. "The moon is getting higher, and I'm sure the guard is itching to shift," he chuckled.

Gladio rolled his shoulders back, rotating his neck. "Yes, sir. We are more than ready."

With a nod of his head, Regis stepped onto the main pedestal. "Good evening my fellow wolves!" His voice boomed, and Noctis tried to think about how loud he should be talking. Could he even speak that loud? Oh gods, why was talking was so incredibly difficult? "Tonight is a glorious occasion. My son, Noctis, has finally turned 18, reaching adulthood. Soon, he will take a mate, and begin his journey to eventually take over as leader of our clan! But tonight, he will be leading our pack in the monthly hunt! I am so proud to have seen my son grow into such a fine young man, and I am thrilled to pass leadership of tonight's hunt over to him," he said, bowing his head to Noctis.

His ears folded back quickly, the words hitting him in the chest. Was his father really proud of him? He probably should've waited to say that _after_ hearing Noctis' speech.

"And now," Regis said, a smile pulling across his aging features, "I am happy to introduce my son, now an adult, Noctis Lucis Caelum!"

Swallowing, Noctis stepped forward and stood in front of the podium while the crowd which had gathered in front of the palace cheered for him. He had prepared what he was going to say with Ignis, but standing there, it was hard to remember everything, and his tail flicked back and forth anxiously. He turned towards his father for a moment, and felt his face pale.

Glancing out over the crowd, he felt his heart sink momentarily. Oh how he wished Prompto was there with him. The thought made his chest physically hurt, the hole Prompto had left behind when they had broken their bond had never truly healed, and Noctis found it hard to focus on anything but the memories. If Prompto had been there, he would've smiled at him, cheered Noctis on from afar, and he would've felt...so at ease.

But Prompto wasn't there, and as far as Noctis knew, he was never going to be. He had to stop thinking about it.

"Thank you, Father," he said finally, his voice sounding foreign. He spoke loudly, not as loud as his father had, but loud enough that everyone could presumably hear him. "Hello..." he continued slowly. "I am...Noctis Lucis Caelum, son of Regis Lucis Caelum...and I...am honored to be here," he said, glancing to the side. Ignis and Gladio were watching him, always by his side, he knew he could at least count on them to not find him foolish, hopefully. He could see how Ignis' emerald eyes looked eager, urging him to continue. It didn't hold the same weight as Prompto's eyes had, but it was still nice to see.

"Many of you have not heard me speak before," Noctis began. "And that's probably because I'm not as good of a speaker as my father," he admitted, an awkward chuckle leaving his lips. "I can't imagine filling the shoes of someone who has been an absolutely incredible king!" More cheers erupted from the audience, and Noctis felt his heart tighten in his chest. His father was incredibly well-loved, and how could Noctis ever live up to him? He grit his teeth, feeling resentment welling up in his body. How had his father been so good to the people, and yet awful to his own son? He knew his father wasn't really to blame for the mistake he had made, but still, if he had let him and Prompto stay mated...No. He couldn't think about this. "I am honored to finally be old enough to run my own hunt. It is a tradition, passed down by the wolf clan for generations, and I cannot believe the time has come for _me_ to be the one...to...host it."

He felt his voice begin to tremble. Everyone's eyes were watching him, and there was no way they thought this speech was any form of ‘good’..."So...without further ado, since I'm sure we're all ready to shift. Let's begin the hunt!" he said.

He'd been instructed to step forward and shift down on the top step of the staircase, so he slowly inched forward, not wanting to trip in the long robes.

Shifting was an odd feeling. It tingled under his skin, and his bones would shift, his body quickly rearranging itself, as fur covered up the entirety of his skin. As a child, it had been incredibly painful the first time, as though all his muscles were bending and cracking, reshaping in ways they were not supposed to. However, after the first few times, the transition to his wolf form had been painless. Now on the full moon, when he was meant to shift, it almost felt like a relief; this was the form his body was meant to take on.

His body curled in on itself as he moved down to his wolf form, his tail swishing back and forth as he raised his head and howled, signifying the start of the hunt. He began to hear others joining in around him. His father's deep resonating howl called out behind him, and Gladio's gruff howl was directly next to him. Nodding his head to his father, he began to dash off into the woods, the guard following behind him.

Anytime he went into the woods as a wolf, he was always overwhelmed by his senses. His ears could hear every sound, every bird call, or twig snap. And he could smell everything, he could smell the scents of the other wolves in the guard, and he could smell tinier animals, the scent of the fresh growing grass.

Secretly he always hoped there would be one scent he would smell, one that meant more to him than any of the others. He and Prompto had only shifted together one time, when they were younger. They'd sneaked out of the palace, the two of them dashing to play in the snow, and Noctis had begged to see Prompto's fox form.

_  
"Y-You don't wanna see that," Prompto had scoffed, brushing Noctis off._

_"I do, Prom. I really do," Noctis had urged. Was it really so terrible to want to see his friend in his purest form? He could only imagine Prompto was adorable, all his fluffy blond fur._

_"W-Well okay...if you're sure. But you can't make fun of me! I'm a lot smaller than a wolf!"_

_"Prom, I think I know what a fox looks like."  
_

Prompto had shifted for him that day, and Noctis had loved how good he smelled. His tail was so much puffier than a wolf's and he could jump much higher. They'd leapt and played in the snow that day, their fur getting matted and covered in the icy water. However when they began to roll around together, Noctis had nipped at Prompto's neck playfully, only his jaw was much stronger than he realized, causing Prompto to yelp and jump back.

They'd never shifted again after that. In a way, it was for the best. Foxes and wolves were different, and Noctis would always be technically stronger than Prompto. He hadn't meant to hurt him, but Prompto was always insecure about his fox form. It made him feel out of place, Noctis never wanted to push things.

He could only imagine how strange things would be when he was mated to a rabbit.

Noctis put his nose to the ground, tracking some sort of tiny animal. A raccoon perhaps? He hadn't quite gotten the full scent yet, but the hunt continued on until he had caught on to the animal, the guard tracking with him.

It wasn't a difficult task, following his instincts had never been easier, and they spent the evening hunting various prey, collecting their finds for the evening. By the end of the night, Regis had bumped his head affectionately against Noctis' praising him for doing such a good job. And though Noctis was pleased it was over, he couldn't help feel a little disappointed, as he always did, when they didn't find the one thing he was always looking for.

~~

Word of Noctis' successful hunt had spread fast. He'd pulled in an amazing haul for the evening, and it had been worth celebrating the next evening with a grand feast, which was currently being set up in the main dining hall of the palace. Regis had invited many of the noble families from the clan, and he was thrilled to celebrate the success of his son.

It seemed Noctis had finally done something right.

"Your father seemed quite proud," Ignis said, walking with Noctis to the dining hall. The Beta man had helped him dress himself in the finest of robes, though thankfully he was allowed to keep his head bare. He hated wearing headpieces and jewelry, it always dangled strangely and smacked him in the face.

"Yeah," Noctis muttered.

"You can be happy about this, Noct," Ignis said gently, placing his hand onto the prince's shoulder.

Noctis sighed and glanced down. "It's...not...that," he said slowly, knowing what Ignis' response would be if he told him the truth.

Sadness flickered across his green eyes. "Oh Noct, you have to stop expecting to find him every time you go outside the palace. I know it's been...an incredibly difficult two years for you, but...we have to push forward. He wouldn't want to see you moping like this."

Ignis didn't understand, and Noctis didn't really expect him to, but Prompto had been his sunshine, and with his radiance gone, Noctis didn't exactly know _how_ to smile.

"I know," he said, swallowing down the frustration. He was nearing his rut, his body growing more and more tense, his frustration slowly growing harder to avoid, but he hoped he could get through this dinner with no problems.

"Come. There's a great feast waiting for you in the dining hall. It is a night to celebrate!" Ignis said, trying to keep his cheer up for as long as he could.

"Yeah, yeah," Noctis scoffed, smirking just a bit. Ignis' attempts at cheering him up were always endearing. And Noctis really did appreciate how hard Ignis worked for him. Actually he had no idea where he would be without the advisor.

The two entered the hall, and Noctis' pupils dilated from the amount of smells he was hit with. It smelled absolutely delicious and the food which was laid out on the table before them looked mouth-wateringly good. Some of it had come from the hunt, but a large portion had come from the amazing chefs they had in the kitchen.

Smirking, Noctis nudged Ignis. "Did you help with this?"

"I may have lent a hand or two to a few dishes," Ignis said, clearing his throat.

"Good, I bet those ones will be the best," Noctis chuckled, loving the hint of red he saw creep onto Ignis' cheeks.

"Good evening my son!" Regis smiled, putting his arm around Noctis' shoulder. "The kitchen really has outdone themselves. However, I am pleased to see this is the result of your first hunt. You truly exceeded my expectations."

"Thanks," he said softly, bowing to his father.

"Yes, let's celebrate your great success!" Regis took his place at the table, and Noctis followed suit. It was so strange, to see his father celebrating something wonderful Noctis had done. Normally, he felt like an awkward failure. Normally, he always felt like he wouldn't make a very good king.

Many of the other nobles took a seat, including Gladio and his family. His father, Clarus, was Regis' right hand man, and he sat directly next to the king. Noctis, however, stayed close to Gladio, so he'd at least have someone to talk to.

"Looks pretty great, Princess," he teased. "You did good."

"Heh, yeah," he snorted, scoffing at the way Gladio had said it, as though he _wouldn't_ have done a good job. "Thanks for the faith."

"Hey, hey. I always had faith in ya'."

"Suuuure," Noctis laughed.

"Welcome all!" Regis began, once they all had taken their seats. "I am pleased to announce that my son has completed leading his first hunt and the results have been grand and prosperous. Therefore, tonight, we shall feast and celebrate!" The large table erupted with cheers and clapping.

"In all seriousness, you really have come a long way, Noct," Gladio chuckled, patting him on the back. "Dig in, you deserve it."

He didn't feel like he deserved it. The hunt hadn't been all that difficult. He'd run mostly off of his instincts, but he couldn't deny, the food in front of him looked delicious.

"Well, well, well. A party. And I wasn't invited. How cruel!" The door slammed opened, and Noctis' ears twitched, immediately recognizing the echo of the large boots against the floor. The voice was familiar too, a gentle flowing legato Noctis would never forget.

Regis had stood up immediately, turning to face the man who had entered the scene rather rudely. "Ardyn!" he snarled. "How did you get in here?"

Before Ardyn could answer, Gladio and Clarus had stood up immediately, Clarus standing directly in front of the king.

"It seems your best guards are all at this dinner. It was quite simple getting by the simpletons you have guarding the front," he chuckled. "But really I am offended you threw such a large dinner party and did not invite me!"

Regis growled, and Noctis couldn't help the way his hair stood on end. Ardyn's scent was still horrible, Noctis recognized it too, and it made the frustration in his body stir. He recalled the last time he saw Ardyn, the way the man had stretched his hand out to Prompto to try and convince him to come back to the foxes...

Noctis _hated_ Ardyn.

A growl rumbled in his throat and he stood up next to Gladio, glaring at the fox who began to pace in front of his father.

"This is a wolf clan party. It is a private celebration. I do not know how you got into my palace, but my guards will escort you out. I am not open to seeing anyone today. If you have something you feel you must discuss with me, we can speak tomorrow."

"I heard your little son lead his first hunt. It seems you pulled in quite the haul." Ardyn smiled, though the way his lips curled upwards made Noctis' skin crawl. Gripping at the side of the table, his growl only grew louder. His tail flicking back and forth angrily.

"Noct..." Gladio warned, placing his hand on his chest to stop the prince from stepping any closer.

"I already told you, we can speak tomorrow," Regis repeated.

"Oh this will only take but a minute. I also hear Lady Lunafreya, Rabbit of Tenebrae will be arriving to your palace shortly, to become Noctis' mate I presume." No one spoke, the tension in the room growing higher with each passing silent second. "I take it your silence means yes. Which means you've chosen to side with Tenebrae. Too bad, I was hoping we would work together and have feasts like these! Instead, we will continue to be on the cusp of a war. Or perhaps one of us will finally make our move,” he hummed, the tone of his voice dark.

"Lady Lunafreya will be arriving soon and Noctis and her will be mates," Regis stated flatly. "This does not mean we have chosen Tenebrae over Niflheim. We could sign treaties, keep the peace, there is no need for us to be fighting-"

"Mmm, but you see Tenebrae has something we desire. Hunting grounds. Besides foxes are supposed to hunt rabbits. It's only natural Regis. What isn't natural, is your strange desire to try and bring _wolves_ and _rabbits_ together. It would be so easy for you to devour them. Wolves are natural hunters after all," he said, his long tail flicking back and forth. "If you insist on going against your natural instincts, we only have the choice to fight you."

"Ardyn. I've offered to speak with you at a later date. We can discuss this-"

"There's no need. You've made yourself quite clear this evening. And even if _you_ decide you do not wish to fight, I have something I think will put the fight in your son," he chuckled.

What the hell did he mean, 'put the fight in him'? Growling, Noctis' fingers dug into the table. His desire to leap forward and attack was growing stronger and stronger.

"Calm, Noct," Gladio hissed, pressing his hand against his chest harder.

"Ardyn. This has nothing to do with my son."

"Oh, I apologize Regis, but it has _everything_ to do with him. You'll see. All in due time. For now, I suppose I'll take my leave. Since I'm not welcome at your little dinner."

"Follow him, make sure he _leaves_ ," Regis hissed to Clarus, the guard following the fox out of the main room.

Pursing his lips, Noctis stared at his father, unsure of what to say. What had Ardyn meant? From the look on his father's face, it seemed neither of them wanted to find out.

~~ 

 

Noctis was exceptionally quiet as he and Ignis walked back to his room. Ignis was well aware of the prince's quiet nature, but he seemed to be stewing. The interaction between his father and the leader of the fox clan had been rather intense, and mostly aimed at Noctis.

The closer he got to his room the brisker he walked, his tail swishing back and forth behind him, and Ignis attempted to keep up.

"Noct," he said slowly. "Is everything alright?"

There was no answer, which wasn't completely out of the ordinary. 

"Noct?" he repeated, gently placing his hand on his shoulder, and the wolf prince jumped back, staring at Ignis.

"What?" he snapped, his face full of frustration. Ignis couldn't tell anything about Noctis' scent, but from the redness on his cheeks and the way he looked, Ignis could only assume the Prince was about to hit his rut far earlier than planned. Perhaps the fox had set him off.

"I was asking if you were okay, but I believe it best if we hurry to your room," Ignis urged, gesturing his hands towards his room.

Narrowing his eyes, Noctis continued to look frustrated and Ignis knew he was definitely hitting his rut. He'd come to recognize the signs. Usually Noctis slept a bit more than normal, and he would tend to grow angry at even the tiniest of things. He also would spar more with Gladio, and occasionally he chose to shift down. In the past few months, his ruts had been unbearable.

Ignis had offered, on many occasions, to help him relieve his rut, however Noctis always said no. He claimed it didn't feel right, doing something like that to Ignis when he knew Ignis did not care for him in that way. It wasn't entirely true. Ignis did harbor some feelings for the prince. He was the person Ignis had dedicated his life to, and he did love Noctis, though it wasn't entirely romantic.

Plus, there was Gladiolus. Ignis was convinced Noctis refused his aid because he had a vague idea of the relations between them. And, once again, it wasn't incorrect. Ignis was in love with Gladio, and he wished to mate with him once Noctis took his mate. The prince had told Ignis he could mate now if he chose, but Ignis felt he would be betraying his position if he did so.

It did make him feel terrible, as he knew Gladio was constantly suffering during his ruts. He did sleep with him when he was able, but it wasn't every time. Admittedly, Ignis kept waiting for Gladio to choose someone else. But at the age of 23, the Alpha was still waiting. It was...impressive really. Most people were mated by the time they hit 18, it was far too painful to wait much longer than that. But Gladio had always been above average in Ignis' opinion.

So he would wait, just as Gladio was. However, Ignis really wouldn't have minded helping Noctis out. He had prepared for such a thing on many occasions, but Noctis was far too nice, and of course, he had never really moved on from his first love, Prompto.

It broke Ignis' heart to think about it. There were times when he caught the prince looking sad as he stared at Prompto's old room. Or occasionally he'd sit by the training grounds and stare out into the forest, as though he expected him to come back. Ignis recognized that breaking their bond had broke Noctis almost completely.

Turning the knob to the door, Ignis ushered Noctis back inside and he huffed, standing in front of his bed, his tail swishing angrily. "What was the big hurry?"

"I believe you are about to hit your rut, and I thought it best we get you to your room," Ignis muttered, adjusting his frames.

"O-oh..." Noctis muttered, his cheeks heating up. "You're right..." Stepping towards his bed, he flopped down onto his mattress, his face plopping against his pillow. "You can go. I'll just ride it out..."

With a sigh, Ignis took a seat on the side of Noctis' bed. "Noct...You do not have to 'ride it out' if you don't wish," Ignis offered.

Noctis groaned. "Iggy...I don't want to do that to you."

"That's fine. I merely wished for you to be aware you do not have to be alone in this," he explained.

Noctis sighed and slowly turned his head, facing Ignis. "...can I ask you something?" he said softly, slowly pushing himself up. Ignis noticed the way Noctis' body trembled, his hands wrapping around his body.

"Of course. Anything you wish."

"What...do you think Ardyn meant? When he said he had something that would...put the fight in me?"

Ignis glanced towards the floor. He didn't like disappointing Noctis, but he still hadn't come up with any possible solutions to the question.

"...I do not know, Noct. But I do know you shouldn't let a man like that get in your head-"

"When he was here, two years ago...he saw Prompto and he tried to take him back to the fox clan. He said no...but...." Noctis muttered. "Barely a week later was when he...went missing." He turned his gaze towards Ignis, sitting up fully. His dark blue eyes held an intensity Ignis hadn't seen in quite sometime; he looked beautiful, and if Ignis hadn't been a Beta, he would've been affected by his scent. "Do you think Ardyn took Prompto?"

"Noct...I think it is best you do not think about these things..." Ignis said slowly.

Noctis' fingers slowly curled into fists. His body began to shake, his face growing redder. "Prompto never would've left on his own Ignis. You know I'm right...What if Ardyn took him and what if he's planning to use him to get to me somehow and-"

"Noctis," Ignis whispered and leaned forward to gently place his hand on his shoulder. Noctis froze, his deep blue eyes staring at Ignis. "You need to take a deep breath. Your rut is making you lose control of your thoughts."

"I..." he turned his head towards his lap. "I just want him back Ignis..." he whispered, a few tears slipping down his cheeks. Ignis certainly hadn't expected him to cry. Moving forward on the bed, he pulled Noctis into his arms. He wished he could tell him they'd get Prompto back, and the two could be best friends again, but Ignis _couldn't_ promise that. If he could've, he would've given Noctis anything he desired.

Noctis had truly loved Prompto, that much was clear to Ignis. It was almost as though they were soulmates, not that anything like that existed, and for Noctis, mating with Prompto would've actually been impossible.

"I know...and I know it's only worsened by your ruts..." Even having been bonded for only a few hours, the loss of such a thing was hard on a person's body. Ignis could only imagine the pain Noctis had endured for the past few years.

"I don't...understand what happened..." Noctis whispered. Ignis could feel how hot Noctis' breath was, how his body trembled from the instincts which threatened to take over. "He was mine," he whispered. "Prompto was _mine_...and should've stayed mine."

"Noct," Ignis warned and cupped his cheeks. His deep eyes were filled with rage, frustration. "You need to calm down."

"How can I calm down when I _know_ that man took him! I know he took Prompto!" Noctis yelled, and Ignis knew he had to do something to get Noctis to calm down. If his rut manifested itself in rage form, he'd have to get Gladio to try and fight him. Though that wasn't the ideal solution, as Gladio could be thrown into his own rut if he was around Noctis and forced to fight him. He had to divert his attention somehow.

Holding his cheeks between his palms, Ignis leaned forward and brushed their lips together, which immediately made Noctis freeze. His eyes were wide, and Ignis pulled back, their lips disconnecting with a gentle noise. "I-Iggy..." Noctis said, his face bright red with embarrassment, his rage subsiding. "W-Why did you...I told you didn't..."

"I wanted to," Ignis said gently. It wasn't a lie. "I want to relieve your frustration Noctis. I know how hard this must be for you." His thumb brushed over his cheek, touching the slightly reddened skin. Noctis trembled underneath his touch.

"But...Gladio..." Noctis muttered, and he pulled his lip against his teeth.

"Knows this is my duty. I am your Beta Noctis, I have prepared to do something like this for you. Lady Lunafreya will arriving here soon, so it will not matter in the very near future, but if you need me to stay with you tonight, I will."

He glanced down, his chest slowly heaving with his shortened breaths. He looked conflicted, as though his body wished to say yes, but his mind thought to say no. "And... you really want to? With me?"

Ignis smiled gently. "Of course I do. You are my prince. I love you very much Noctis, and I would do anything..." Gently, he squeezed one of Noctis' hands. "...to ease this pain you are dealing with."

Pursing his lips, Noctis nodded after a long bout of silence. "Yeah...Yeah okay."

"Then, I'm yours," Ignis whispered.

Noctis lurched forward, pressing his lips against Ignis' the kiss much rougher than their first. Ignis didn't mind however, no, he was well aware of the desperation Noctis was feeling.

With each kiss and noise that slipped from Noctis' lips, Ignis knew his prince was hurting. A slave to his body, he was desperate to take Ignis and relieve the tension he held, but he also felt an emptiness, from the missing bond he had once had.

"Iggy...Are you sure..." Noctis muttered, pinning him down to the bed, the advisor staring up into his prince's needy eyes. He was panting, his chest rising and falling quickly. "If...I keep going I won't be able to stop."

"I am sure, Noct."

There was no holding back after that. Noctis' lips connected with his own, and Ignis felt the weight of his prince fall on him.  
With his inhibitions gone, Noctis ripped their clothes off, wasting no time. Ignis knew Noctis would be unable to hold back, his body releasing almost two years of pent up desire. And Ignis was more than happy to be the object of Noctis' affections.

His skin was sticky, sweat already trailing down his back, and Ignis leaned up to kiss him. His prince had been holding back for so long, his body heavy and filled with a lust he couldn't control, and Ignis spread his legs, letting Noctis setting in between them.

Ignis' wrapped his arms around Noctis', his fingers gently running through his hair. He tried to keep his touches soft, calming, in an attempt to fight against Noctis' quick and rough movements. Noctis kissed down his neck, and Ignis closed his eyes, feeling Noctis' lips caress at his bare skin.

The prince was quick, pressing Ignis' back against the bed, his hardening length pressing against Ignis' thigh. "Iggy," Noctis panted. "I'm sorry, I just...I can't...-" he grunted.

"Noct, there's...no reason to hold back. Just remember not to knot and all will be fine." Ignis muttered, pressing his lips up to Noctis'.

"I can't..." he said. His forehead pressed against Ignis' shoulder, his ears folding down, and his body was exhausted with his desperate need.

"It's alright," Ignis whispered. "I've already prepared myself for you."

With a long sigh, Noctis let out a moan, his hips rutting against Ignis'. "Damn Iggy, okay..."

"I thought it would be...for the best," he breathed. It wasn't as though Ignis was not completely unaffected. The kisses, Noctis' hot moans, and the way his breath tickled at Ignis' skin was enough to drive him wild. He'd always imagined what it would be like to be intimate with the prince. He'd of course, been preparing for it for quite sometime now, and now that it was actually happening, he couldn't help but feel overwhelmed by the feeling of his prince.

He drove into him, Noctis stretching him even more. He grunted, panting in Ignis' ear as he began to thrust into him. "Ah...Noct..." he sighed.

Noctis' tail curled around his own, giving it a squeeze. "I'm not hurting you, right Iggy?" he muttered. The words came out slurred, and his movement were sporadic, and choppy, a feeble attempt at holding himself back.

"Not at all, it was a sigh of pleasure," Ignis urged.

At the word pleasure, Noctis' let out a whimper and began to pound into Ignis harder, squeezing his tail. Ignis' legs hooked around Noctis' body, pushing him in as deep as he could, letting his prince take exactly what he needed.

"Ig-Iggy...shit..." Noctis moaned, his voice breathy and filled with lust. "I'm not...I'm gonna...c-cum..."

Cupping his cheeks, Ignis pulled their lips together in a heated kiss. He nipped at Noctis' lip, and flicked his tongue over the entrance to his mouth. "Cum, Noct," he demanded, his voice husky from the pleasure laced in his tone.

As Noctis thrusted faster, chasing his orgasm, Ignis tilted his head back against the pillow, Noctis' kissing at his neck, sucking on his hot skin. He felt Noctis' cock twitch inside of him, and he thrust once more, pushing deep inside of Ignis. Rolling his hips up to accept Noctis' cum, the two of them moaned deeply, the sensation pleasurable for both.

Ignis had been waiting so long for this moment to happen, he could feel his own finish tightening up in his sac. Reaching down between his leg, he stroked at his throbbing cock, pumping himself in time with Noctis. "N-Noct," he moaned, his own finish pouring onto his chest.

"Ignis...F-Fuck..." Noctis panted, burying his face against his shoulder. "I'm so sorry..."

"Hush," Ignis whispered, stroking down his back with his fingertips, trying to keep his touch gentle. "I wanted to help you."

"...I know..." Noctis muttered, pressing his nose to Ignis' neck. "Thank you. I...did really need it...I kept resisting it and-"

"I know. You do not have to apologize."

"Yeah..."

Ignis sighed and pressed his lips to his forehead. He knew tomorrow Gladio would smell Noctis' scent on him and probably be hurt, but he knew what they had agreed to. And Ignis was happy to have helped Noctis, and he hoped he'd alleviated at least some of his pain, even if it was only physical.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like this chapter ended up being more messed up than I realized it was going to be. I do promise things aren't going to stay so angsty forever! And hopefully people will stick out the direction of this fic, like I promised it is a promptis end game, just, gonna take a bit to get happy again. I APOLOGIZE. Thank you to Adriana for being my weekly beta and for leaving me the all time best comment in my word doc LMAO <3


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lady Lunafreya arrives at the palace.

Noctis' heart was throbbing in his chest, and he began to wonder if anyone could hear it, simply because it was all _he_ could hear. Thump-thump, thump-thump. Over and over, it pounded like it was knocking against his forehead and his ears.

"Your Majesty! I am happy to announce the arrival of the Lady Lunafreya!" A guard called out, bowing to both of them. "Shall we escort her into the throne room?"

"Yes, yes! Of course! Right away," Regis urged, and though everything seemed to be happening rather fast, Noctis could only process it in slow motion.

The doors swung up, creaking as they did, the sound echoing in Noctis' ears, the only thing thus far which had been able to drown out the annoying sound of his heart thumping in his ears. Once the door was open completely, Lunafreya entered, followed by her brother and their mother.

Lunafreya was stunning. There was absolutely no denying that. Her long ears stood pointed atop her head, regal and proper. Her long white dress flowed all the way to the floor, and due to the nature of the weather, she had a short, fluffy white jacket wrapped around her shoulders. Her long blond hair was tied up into a long ponytail, braids pulling back into the ponytail as well. If she had on any sort of makeup, Noctis couldn't tell, but her lips were the perfect shade of soft pink, and her skin seem to sparkle and glow under the lighting of the room. Yes, Lady Lunafreya had always been beautiful, in Noctis’ opinion, and now as an adult, she perhaps looked even more so. She was mature and regal, her posture never changing as she made her way to throne.

Her brother, looked serious, unsmiling and rougher than Noctis remembered. His right arm was slung up in some sort of sling, and Noctis wondered what had happened. Between that, and the small scar on his right cheek, Noctis could only imagine Ravus must have had quite the tussle to leave such wounds on his body. Actually, he looked angry, especially when Noctis met his gaze. Perhaps he wasn't as willing to throw his sister to the wolves. Noctis couldn't blame him; a rabbit didn't really belong here.

Not that a fox ever had either.

Their mother, Sylva, looked far older than Noctis remembered, but he supposed Regis probably looked older too. It was harder to notice when he saw his father on a day to day basis. And yet she still held a youthful beauty to her. Her long rabbit ears stood completely up as well, and she curtsied when she made it to the throne.

"Good afternoon, King Regis of the Wolf Clan," she bowed. "Thank you for welcoming me and my family to your humble home. We are thrilled to be uniting our dear Lunafreya and your son, Noctis."

Ravus' eyes flickered with anger.

"We are happy to welcome you here, Rabbit Clan," Regis said with a smile. "I am hoping this union will begin to unite our lands and head towards peace." Noctis' eyes glimpsed towards his father. Could he really say that, when he knew Ardyn, the leader of the Fox Clan, was so vehemently against such a union? Noctis and Lunafreya mating practically meant the wolves were declaring war on the foxes.

"We truly believe we will be taking the right steps to ensure our nations’ safety," she nodded. Noctis could understand where they were coming from. If he and Lunafreya mated, it would join their lands, meaning the wolves would be able to protect the rabbits from any sort of attacks from the foxes. It was really more beneficial to the rabbits than it was the wolves, but having any sort of allies was good, at least in his father's opinion.

"I agree!" Regis smiled, bowing to her. "Tonight we will feast in honor of the coming union between our two children. You and Ravus are of course, always welcome here, and are welcome to stay for as long as you like."

"We will stay until the union has been solidified," Sylva said, bowing her head.

"That seems fair," Regis chuckled. "I will have some servants take your things to your rooms, and we can begin the preparations for this evening’s dinner. Are there any certain accommodations you may need?"

"No, no," she shook her head. "I am certain everything you provide will be splendid!" she smiled. "However, I am curious as to when your boy's next rut is." Noctis' face immediately turned bright red. It wasn't normal to simply talk about someone's rut like that, but he supposed in this situation it made sense to speak freely, seeing as the rabbits would be staying until he and Lunafreya mated. "Lunafreya's last heat was unfortunately just last week, so it may be awhile before she is ready to mate officially."

This time, it was Lunafreya's turn to be completely embarrassed. Her pale cheeks turned a shade of red Noctis did not think was possible.

"Well, Noctis?" Regis asked, and Noctis' eyes slowly widened. He of course, hadn't expected his father to answer for him, not at 18 years old, but for some reason the question still completely took him off guard.

"It, uh, it was just...last week," he answered awkwardly, trying to find his voice over the loud thumping of his heart.

"I see!" Sylva chuckled. "It seems the two have already synced up. How marvelous."

"Indeed!" Regis replied, laughing along with her. Noctis was happy to see Lunafreya didn't really see the humor in it either. "So for now, let's get you settled in your rooms, and then we will see you for the festivities this evening?" he offered.

"Sounds wonderful," she said.

"Thank you, King Regis, for all your generous accommodations," Lady Lunafreya bowed. Her voice was soft, and gentle. So caring and kind, even as she simply thanked his father.

"It is no problem my dear," he smiled. "For now you and Noctis can stay in separate rooms, until you are better acquainted," he said.

"Thank you so much," she repeated, and bowed to him once more.

The three were ushered out, their things being led to their respective rooms so they could be more comfortable, and Regis sighed, rubbing at his forehead. "Noctis," he began. "I know this situation is not ideal for you, but please be kind to Lady Lunafreya. At least try to speak to her and get to know her."

Noctis frowned, offended his father would think he would do anything but. "I will," he said, a sigh leaving his lips. "I wasn't gonna be rude or anything..."

"I know, I know. I just...I know this isn't your first choice, but she's beautiful, and if you speak with her you might find this could be a very positive union."

Noctis resisted the urge to roll his eyes, knowing his father wouldn't appreciate the gesture. "I'm sure," he muttered instead.

It wasn't as if he would have much of a choice anyway.

~~

Ignis had prepared Noctis for the party, giving him an almost identical lecture to the one he had received from his father. This time, however, Noctis had shown his frustration.

"Why does everyone think I'm going to be mean to her?" he snorted, folding his arms.

"It's not that we think you're going to be mean exactly," Ignis began. "It's more that..." he trailed off, and Noctis knew exactly what Ignis was thinking, what everyone was thinking.

It was more about who his heart truly belonged to. Two years hadn't changed anything, two years hadn't taken away almost 7 years of love.

Noctis swallowed, his ears twitching against his head. "I...I like Luna," he mumbled. "She's a good person. I wouldn't ever be mean to her."

Ignis sighed, and gently placed his hand on Noctis' shoulder, his ears falling down. "I know. I believe you."

"Thanks," Noctis smiled. "Doesn't make it any easier."

"I know," Ignis said again, moving his hand to the small of Noctis' back, leading him towards the dining hall.

The dinner table was set up for a large party, and most of the nobles were there to celebrate. Noctis was very displeased to find that most of the food was greens, and since he was placed next to Lunafreya, he had to resist the urge to wrinkle his nose at the large salad placed in front of him. There was supposed to be meat too, but it was probably going to be saved for the nobles at the other end of the table. Since Noctis and his father were honoring their new guests, it was only natural they would follow rabbit tradition.

Noctis couldn't help but wonder if this was how every night with Luna was going to go.

He glanced towards her, staring at her profile. Her blue eyes shined happily as she bit into the lettuce. Noctis silently wondered how _anyone_ could possibly be that happy eating something like lettuce, but he was glad she didn't seem displeased with the meal. Her ears once again were completely still, standing up completely straight on her head. The sight made Noctis' own ears move back. How could she been so poised, even now as she focused on eating? Her small mouth and tiny nose were so cute, and Noctis couldn't help the blush which slowly appeared on his cheeks. Really, if he wasn't going to have a choice in who he mated with, he couldn't have gotten someone better.

"The salad is delicious!" she said, catching him off guard when she turned to look at him.

"Uh, yeah," Noctis said awkwardly, slamming his fork into a leaf as he shoved it into his mouth. His nostrils flared and he desperately tried to look normal while chewing.

Lunafreya's thin fingers covered her mouth as she let out a soft giggle. "Noctis, you do not have to eat lettuce if you do not like it. I know rabbits tend to gravitate towards these kinds of meals, but...I know wolves tend to enjoy more...meaty things? Correct?" she asked.

Swallowing hard, Noctis took a deep breath. "Y-Yeah. We definitely do," he admitted.

"Well don't eat this for my sake," she said softly.

Noctis flicked his eyes towards his father, who was having no problem stomaching the leafy greens. "I gotta," he mumbled. "At least for tonight," he said.

"Oh, sorry," she said, an apologetic smile appearing on her features. "It is really quite good."

"Well, glad you like it," he said shyly. "That's...really all that matters. Worse case I can bug Ignis to get me something later," he smirked.

"Is he your personal servant?" she asked, tilting her head.

"Ah, no, he's more like...my advisor. A Beta..." Noctis said. "But he's a really great chef. He probably helped make some of this," he gestured with his fork to the massive amount of food in front of them. "Not all of it, but you know...some of it."

Lunafreya laughed again, smiling as she returned her attention to the food, taking a few more bites. As awkward as Noctis felt, the dinner didn't seem to be going too terribly...

The night continued on, both Noctis and Lunafreya standing at the front of the room to say goodbye to all the guests. It was polite to do so after a large dinner, and it gave the wolf nobles a chance to get to know Lunafreya, or at least meet her. A few had given her rude looks, as many wolves were about keeping the royal line pure, but Noctis had frowned right back, giving his own disapproving look.

"That was not...so bad," she smiled, though Noctis could tell the face was slightly forced. He wanted to tell her she didn't have to force herself to smile if she hadn't had fun, but he doubted she would listen to him.

"You'll get used to 'em," Noctis sighed. "They're all old and stupid about stuff anyway," he shrugged, happy when Lunafreya laughed at him. He didn't love her, at least not yet, but he certainly didn't want her to be miserable.

"Well I hope they get used to me," she said softly.

"Eh, they will. I mean they're gonna have to. You're gonna be my mate so..." he trailed off, realizing that was one of the first times he'd actually spoken something like that out loud. He blushed, especially when he realized Lunafreya was blushing too. Her ear twitched uncharacteristically, and Noctis thought the small movement of expression was...kind of adorable. "A-Anyway, you're probably exhausted and stuff, so uh...I'll walk you back to your room."

She nodded, clasping her hands together as they walked down the hall, Noctis keeping his hands awkwardly by his side. He gave her a small wave when he said goodnight, and she thanked him for being so kind to her on the first day, bowing her head as she stepped back into her room.

Noctis probably should've gone to bed, and he realized that not heading directly for his room would probably freak Ignis out, but Noctis had other plans. It was cold out, but the night was clear. No wind, no snow falling, and he wanted to go sit out by the garden.

It had become something he was accustomed to doing, sitting out by the garden at night, especially in the winter. It was where he had met Prompto for the first time, and there was a part of his heart that always wondered if he sat there for a long time, maybe Prompto would realize he was waiting for him and come home. It was silly, especially after two years.

Noctis was an adult now, and he couldn't be naive. And yet, he hated when people whispered about Prompto and how he'd most likely passed away in the snow. It made Noctis' blood boil with rage, and usually he had to go spar with Gladio or shift into his wolf form just to stop the anger.

Still, any truths about Prompto didn't stop him from sitting out by the garden on a clear night such as this one, looking at the stars. He took a seat on the edge of the deck, and tucked a leg under himself, his tail swaying back and forth.

Usually he stared up at the stars, or scented the air, enjoying how clean it smelled outside. It made his head feel clear, and not so bogged down by his exhaustion and frustration. Occasionally, like tonight, he found himself talking when he stared at the stars.

"Sorry...Prom..." he muttered. "I always promised you...but it seems like I got no choice."

Sometimes when he did this, he could almost hear Prompto's voice. _"Yeah, man that sucks, but hey! At least she's super pretty!"_

"Yeah but none of that matters to me," he grumbled, looking down at the snow covered gardens. He could almost remember where their tiny bodies had rolled around in the snow, making snow blobs which Prompto had deemed snow angels. At the time it had seemed like the most magical thing. _Prompto_ had seemed like the most magical thing. Sometimes he still did...

"Talking to yourself?"

The gentle voice startled him, and he almost jumped off the deck into the snow, his tail standing on end.

"L-Lunafreya!" he gasped, turning around to see the rabbit in her long, while nightgown, another robe wrapped around her slender body. "I...thought you went to bed."

"Mm. I tried but I couldn't sleep," she admitted. "Do you mind if I join you?" she asked, and Noctis quickly shook his head.

"Uh, no, please," he said, scooting to the side so it was easier to sit down.

"I went to your room, but Ignis told me you'd be out here." Ah, so Ignis knew. No surprise there.

"Yeah, I guess I come out here a lot," Noctis muttered, his ears folding against his head.

"Any...special reason?" she asked softly. Her tone was so warm, and welcoming, as though Noctis could tell her anything and she wouldn't mind, she'd just listen.

Noctis bit his lip. It was rare he talked about anything in regards to Prompto, especially not to some stranger, but Lunafreya's light blue eyes were so gentle, Noctis couldn't help but sigh, opening up. "It's where I met my best friend," he muttered, turning towards the garden once more.

"Ignis?" she asked.

"Nah. I mean, Iggy's great, don't get me wrong, but uh...I meant Prompto. He doesn't...live here anymore," he said.

"What happened?" she asked softly, and he felt her hand gently curl over his shoulder. The touch was delicate, and kind.

"It's...a long story. But...I think he ran away. He was...a fox and I think maybe he felt like he no longer belonged here..." he trailed off. It was the most he'd talked about it, and still it was so far from the truth. It had been his fault Prompto had run away, and it was possibly his fault that Prompto was maybe...

"I'm so sorry," she whispered.

"Yeah...it sucks," he admitted. "So sometimes I come sit out here to just...remember him and you know...Yeah..." he mumbled. It was a poor excuse for an explanation, but he could tell from the gentle way Luna squeezed his shoulder, she maybe understood.

"You know..." she began softly. "I really hope our...union will help others realize that...all of us are the same, regardless of what...animal we have the ability to become," she said. "I think that would be...really wonderful."

A small smile slipped onto Noctis' lips. "Yeah...me too..." he said, and rest his hand over hers. Maybe Lunafreya really wasn't so bad after all. And maybe...he could help people in the future, who wanted to mate with someone from a different clan...maybe he and Lunafreya could pave the way. It was possible he'd been looking at it all wrong, and maybe it would be smart if he could be positive about all this. It wasn't like he was going to get Prompto back, and as sad as that was, maybe it was best to push forward with Lunafreya.

And as she smiled when he squeezed her hand, he thought maybe she would be happy to help him with this as well.

~~

Only a bit of time had passed since Lady Lunafreya's arrival at the palace, but as far as Gladio could tell, things were going well between the betrothed. Admittedly, he'd been surprised by that. Only because Noctis had been so damn stubborn about considering anyone else but Prompto.

However, Lunafreya and Noctis were spending a great deal of time together. When he wasn't training or shifting, it seemed he was enjoying his time with her, reading in library, or showing her around the palace. Gladio wondered what exactly had changed, or if Noctis was simply doing it out of obligation.

Still, he'd seen the boy smile around her a few times, genuine smiles, that Gladio was convinced he hadn't seen in years.

The hunt grew closer, which meant Noctis' rut was surely coming soon after, and possibly Lady Lunafreya's heat, and Gladio wondered how Noctis would deal with making a new connection. Perhaps he would actually be mature about it and move on. It sucked, Gladio knew how much it had to suck for him, but maybe this would be exactly what he needed.

Gladio sure knew it was what the hell he needed. His own rut was drawing closer, and if his happened after Noctis', well that meant he and Ignis could finally...

He shook his head, knowing how dangerous it was to think about Ignis like that, especially when it wasn't a guarantee they could be together this time around. His ruts were so damn painful, practically unbearable at this point. And the worst part was they lasted so long. He was looking forward to the hunt, however. The hunts always made it easier for Gladio to focus on _something_ else.

However, the morning of the hunt, there was a knock on Gladio's door far earlier than he usually expected any visitors, which only meant it could be one person.

"Hey Iggy," he yawned, leaving the door wide so Ignis could enter.

"Good morning, Gladio. I came to speak with you in regards to this evening's hunt. I am quite worried about the prince," he admitted.

"Eh?" Gladio groaned, rubbing at his stomach as he stretched up. "What do you mean?" he grumbled, annoyed Ignis had come into his room so early, simply to tell him about his worries with Noctis.

"He's been acting odd lately." Ignis' features were pulled tight, his brow furrowed as he tapped his finger against his chin.

"What? Y'mean happy?" Gladio asked, but Ignis quickly shook his head.

"No. I mean..." A long groan came from his lips. "I don't know how to explain it...but as his rut draws closer I've noticed him growing...more and more nervous."

"I dunno, Iggy. I've seen him spending a lot of time with Lunafreya. Seems like he likes her, or he's a real good actor. And y'know," Gladio smirked. "I find that hard to believe."

"No, Gladio you don't understand," Ignis frowned, a hint of a bite in his tone.

"Alright, alright, then explain," he said, raising his hands up in defeat. When Ignis was convinced about something in regards to the prince, Gladio knew it was impossible to argue with the advisor.

"I've seen him looking out at the gardens more, almost every night. And then a few nights ago, I saw him standing by Prompto's room, staring at the door. I can tell he's missing him. I _know_ he doesn't wish to mate with anyone besides him, and I know he's going to avoid mating with Luna if he can," Ignis urged. "I'm concerned that once he is off the palace grounds, he might...not come back with the rest of the pack."

Gladio pursed his lips, and sat down on the edge of his bed. "Look, Iggy, I get that you're concerned, but have you _seen_ Noctis and Lunafreya together? Seriously, normally you're right about everything, don't get me wrong, but I think you might be wrong about this."

"I'm not wrong, I swear to you Gladio, I can tell. He's smiling with Luna, yes, and I think he enjoys her, but he does not look at her the way he looked at Prompto, trust me, I _know_ ," Ignis sighed, pressing his glasses up further on his face.

Gladio pursed his lips. "How do you know?"

To that, Ignis flicked his eyes to the side, a flash of nervousness slipping over his body. Strange. Nervousness was a rare emotion to see on Ignis' features, and Gladio wondered what had happened.

"I know how the prince looks at those he does not care for in the same way he did Prompto," Ignis muttered slowly.

Gladio hated the way Ignis said that. His gaze was turned downwards, his eyes staring directly at the floor, as though he were guilty, and suddenly Gladio knew exactly what had happened.

"You slept with him, didn't you?"

"Gladio...It's best you didn't ask me questions about the prince's personal business-"

"Answer the damn question, Ignis," Gladio growled, rising to his feet as he glared at the Beta. "If you slept with him, it’s _your_ personal business too." Silence. Ignis kept his eyes turned down. "You slept with him, _didn't you_?" Gladio repeated, feeling the anger boiling up in his chest. It was wrong to be mad at Ignis, and Gladio knew that. This was Ignis' position, this was what he was supposed to be doing, and yet...it didn't change the hurt, and frustration Gladio felt. It didn't change the fact he was an Alpha, and though they weren’t officially mated, Ignis _felt_ like his, or was going to be his, or...something...Gladio couldn't really make sense of it, but he knew one thing...

He certainly didn't want to hear about Ignis sleeping with the prince.

Ignis frowned, stepping towards Gladio so their faces were closer together. "You knew this was part of my job, part of _our_ agreement-"

"And that's how you _fucking_ know, because you let the prince fuck you and you saw how his eyes looked at you, all empty and shit cause you weren't Prompto, am I right?" Gladio snapped, the anger reaching its boiling point. He growled, slamming his hand down against the table next to him, his tail flicking back in forth angrily. It was mean...and he didn’t want to be mean, but the words spilled from his lips anyway.

Ignis' ears twitched, folding backwards. "Do not yell at me _Gladiolus_ ," Ignis hissed, hurt flicking across his eyes. "I know you are an Alpha, and I know it must be hard for you to hear, but this is part of my job."

"Well did you _want_ him to look at you like he loved you?" Gladio asked, his hands trembling at his side. He knew the person talking wasn't himself, it was his instincts, all his instincts, and he hated it, but he hated that Ignis had slept with Noctis even more.

"Of course not, Gladio-"

"Then why the hell do you sound so disappointed?"

"Will you please stop being an Alpha for five goddamn seconds and listen to me?!" Ignis snapped. "I'm not disappointed, but I can tell the prince is in distress. I want you to watch him on the hunt so he does not make any poor choices. It is my job to worry about the prince, it is my job to assist the prince, and yes I care about him greatly, but it's nothing like how I love you," he huffed out.

Gladio froze. Ignis...loved him? Had he really just said that? Everything else tried to register, but it was next to impossible. "You love me?"

Ignis' cheeks heated up, as though he had replayed the entirety of what he had said in his mind, the truth hitting him. "W-Well...it would be silly for me to wish to mate with you if I didn't...don't you think?" he mumbled, fixing his glasses.

Gladio had never stepped towards the man faster. His hands cupped at his jaw, and he pulled their lips together, kissing him hard. Ignis always tasted so damn sweet, like he'd just baked an entire cake, and then ate the whole goddamn thing too. He kissed him once, twice, and a third time, panting heavily when he pulled away between each one for air. Fuck he wanted to knot him right there, against the door.

But Gladio had more control than that. He _always_ had more control than that.

"Damn, Iggy. I love you too, and I can't wait to make you mine," he growled, nipping at Ignis' lower lip.

"I know," he whispered. "I know it's been hard for you...and it's been getting worse lately...I can tell, obviously you almost attacked me just now..."

"Sorry..." Gladio mumbled, resting his forehead against Ignis'. "Can't help it. I want you, you know? I know it's your job, but it just...sucks to hear it."

"I know," Ignis whispered, gently brushing his thumbs over Gladio's cheeks. "And I really didn't tell you to hurt you or make you jealous."

"Yeah," Gladio mumbled, wishing he could hold Ignis right here, in this moment forever.

"I really am...concerned."

"I get it," Gladio sighed, pecking at his lips once more. "I'll keep an eye on the idiot," he shrugged, taking a step back. "You know I always do anyway."

"Of course," Ignis smiled, and leaned up to kiss his cheek. "Soon...Soon we can be together."

"Yeah," Gladio chuckled, running his hand through his hair. "Can't come fast enough for me, I swear to the gods."

~~

Lately, Noctis had gotten good at believing his cute little lie he'd come up with with Luna. She was sweet, beautiful, kind...and together they were going to unite the clans. It was a nice thought, yes, but deep down Noctis knew it was next to impossible. There were years of hatred between the wolves and the foxes, and many of the rabbits were scared of the wolves. The swans in Altissa weren't the biggest fans of the foxes either, though they were much more casual about it all.

It was simply easier to imagine this as a solution, rather than focus on other things. And yet, his body often betrayed him. Many times he felt as though he were in a daze, and he'd end up in front of Prompto's room, sniffing the air as if he could still smell him.

Occasionally when he fell asleep, he'd dream Prompto was still around, and the dream would feel so real, Noctis would run to his room when he awoke, only to realize his best friend was gone.

The hole in his heart where their bond had been, only seemed to grow wider with every passing day. He thought about having Luna sew it up, but it was almost as if she were a band-aid. A temporary fix for the larger pain he was avoiding feeling.

Mating with her was going to be the hardest thing Noctis ever had to do. And there was absolutely no way to stop it from happening. So yes, believing the lie had become much, much easier.

He could tell Lunafreya was beginning to notice though, as she would call his name multiple times, trying to grab his attention. And when she asked if he was okay, he would give her a small smile, and urge her that he was fine.

But lately, he'd had a small reoccurring thought, if he really wanted to, he could run away too, like Prompto had. During the hunt he'd be out in the woods anyway. It wouldn't be too out of the ordinary for him to dash off, and then...maybe he'd just never come back. The problem was, he was usually followed by Gladio, since Gladio was his main personal guard, especially during the hunt.

It seemed so improbable, and yet, there was the smallest part of him that was still willing to try. Plus it was snowing, it only seemed appropriate.

The clan of wolves made their way to the clearing in the woods, where the hunts normally began. Thankfully, Noctis' father would be leading this one, as Noctis hadn't taken over as King yet, so he didn't have to give any sort of stupid speech or anything.

The snow flowed around his father while he spoke, the clan shivering as they pulled their jackets on tighter. At least as wolves they would be warm enough with their fur coats.

"Hey, the snow is coming down hard," Gladio muttered. "Stick close to me, I don't wanna lose you." There was the ghost of a thought which floated between the two of them. _Like Prompto_. The storm felt almost identical to the one which had taken Prompto from him two years ago.

"Yeah," Noctis muttered. It was probably impossible to lose Gladio, but with how fast the snow was pouring down, Noctis was sure as hell going to try.

His father began to shift, his body curling downwards as it took on his wolf form. He tossed his head back, tilting it towards the moon, a howl ringing out across the forest.

It was the signal, allowing the rest of the clan to shift too, and Noctis did just that. His body lurched forward as he pressed his paws into the ground, and shook out his fur. He leaned forward, stretching his limbs out lazily, and he joined the clan as they all began to howl, signaling the start of the hunt.

As his father took off into the forest, Noctis followed. He thought the best idea would be to follow his father for awhile, and then once everyone began to split off into smaller packs, he could jump off by himself. He'd like to think no one would notice, but Gladio had been on his tail the entire night thus far and he was starting to think Gladio knew.

Maybe something about his facial expression had given it away. Probably to Ignis...who had probably warned Gladio...

The night wore on, snow pelting him in the face as he dashed through the woods. Even his thick, black fur wasn't doing the best job of keeping him warm. His snout was freezing, and even now, as the first signs of dawn began to peak over the horizon, he felt the coldness of the night chilling him to his bones.

He pressed his nose to the ground and began to sniff, realizing he hadn't actually done much hunting. Gladio probably had noticed, since he'd not left his side to try and hunt for anything on his own.

As he walked around the snow, he began to grow desperate to find anything. Hell, he would've taken a squirrel or a chipmunk at that point. It was better than showing up to the final gathering empty handled. It was just so damn hard with the snow falling.

And then, he froze, a strange scent wafting into his nose. He circled back around it, and sniffed once more, not completely certain he had actually smelled what he thought he had. Gladio was on the other side of the clearing, and Noctis could tell from the way he was sniffing at a tree, that he hadn't picked up on the same odd scent Noctis had.

Noctis moved his nose to the ground once more, taking in the full scent...there was no way it could be anything _but_ that.

A fox.

Panting, Noctis immediately took off in a run, dashing through the forest as he kept his nose pressed to the ground. The scent was definitely that of a fox, and it had a hint of familiarity that had Noctis rushing even faster than he should've been. It couldn't be, could it? He was so lost in the scent, he had no idea whether or not Gladio was close behind him, and quite frankly he didn't care.

The scent led him deep into the woods, farther from his clan than he had ever gone, deeper into the woods than he had ever gone. The trees were barren and dark, the snow eating away at them as they stood bare among the winter air, and Noctis kept his nose to the ground, the scent growing closer and closer.

He halted when he came to a clearing and he saw the sight he had been hoping, praying to see; a tiny blond fox, circling around the area. He had his nose to the ground, and he looked a little lost.

There was no way...

It looked like him. It really did...but there was no way it could be Prompto. The sun was beginning to rise over the hill, and in the distance, the wolves began to howl, signaling the hunt was close to being done. But Noctis wasn't ready to return.

The small fox heard the howls, and turned directly towards Noctis, his eyes growing wide. The fox froze in place, and suddenly Noctis was terrified the creature was going to run away. He glanced up towards the sky, noting the sun had slowly begun to rise, and he prayed it was enough for him to shift back.

Closing his eyes, he imagined his human form as he pushed his body to slowly shift back into what it normally looked like. His spine curled upwards and his hands slowly morphed back into human hands as he stared at the creature in front him.

It still didn't move, watching as he made the transformation, and Noctis felt a chill run down his spine, and he wasn't sure if it was because of the question he was about to ask, or the winter wind rolling through his hair.

"Prompto...?" he swallowed, the name sounding so foreign on his tongue.

The fox whimpered, and took a few steps back, glancing away, especially when Noctis sank down, sitting at the fox's level.

"I'm not gonna...hurt you...Prompto if that's you...please..." Noctis' tail thumped against the ground in time with his heart.

Suddenly, the light began to surround the fox as the creature’s body curled upwards, his paws changing to hands, his snout slowly curving up into his nose, a nose Noctis knew oh so well.

Standing before him was his best friend, Prompto. Noctis could barely believe his eyes, and he slowly rose to his feet.

His best friend was thinner, that was for sure, even with the warm long jacket he wore, Noctis could tell Prompto's limbs and face were much skinnier. But his freckles were still there, and his hair stood up, like a bird tail, flipped up towards the sky.

Noctis couldn't breathe...He had to be dreaming. Had to be. There was no way...there was...it couldn't be true?! All this time...Prompto had been alive, and now, maybe he was trying to come home and gotten lost?! Whatever the situation, Noctis didn't care. Prompto was alive, _alive_ , and he was standing right in front of him.

Slowly, Noctis began to step forward, stretching out his hands. If Prompto was a specter, he wouldn't be able to touch him, right? "P-Prom...is that really you?" Noctis whispered. Prompto looked terrified, not moving an inch as he stayed frozen in in place. Maybe he was just as shocked as Noctis?

Noctis' outstretched hands pressed against Prompto's cheeks when he finally moved closer. He was real...He was actually here?! And yet...he wasn't saying a word.

"Pr-Prompto...please...answer me." He wrapped his arms around the boy, hugging him close. Prompto was here, and he was real, and Noctis was never, ever going to let him go again. "I'm so happy to see you. I-I don't know what happened but I'm never going to let you run away or get taken or whatever-"

"W-Who..." Noctis stopped talking immediately when Prompto finally began to speak. His voice trembled so heavily, his teeth chattering against the cold wind. "W-Who...are you?" he whispered, ears folding down against his head.

Noctis pulled back, his hands resting on Prompto's shoulder. "W-Wait you don't remember?"

The blond shook his head, his gaze still fearful. "P-Prompto is my name but...I...I'm not friends with any wolves," he said.

It was just like when he had first met Prompto. The fox hadn't remembered anything but his own damn name. He wondered if whoever had Prompto before had found him again, erasing his memories.

Noctis swallowed. Even if Prompto didn't remember right away...there had to be...someway...right? "C-C'mon on Prom," Noctis mumbled, keeping his hands on Prompto's shoulders. "It's me, Noctis. Your best friend, Noctis."

Prompto's blue eyes slowly widened as he stared at his best friend. "Noctis?" he whispered.

"Yeah! You know, Noctis, as in Noct or Prince Noctis...or whatever," he continued, but frowned when Prompto looked towards the ground, a strange smile curling up on his lips.

"Prince Noctis, huh?" he smiled, looking up at him, his hands slowly coming up to curl around Noctis' neck. Grinning, a strange laugh began to leave Prompto's lips as he squeezed his thumbs against Noctis' neck harder. "Found you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry to finally give everyone what they wanted in such an angsty way. Please forgive me! LOL I love writing this fic though, and I have a few chapters pre-written, which means there's only a few left for me to write. The amount of support I've gotten has been amazing and I am so excited to keep writing for this fandom <3 Thanks to Adriana for reading ahead of time as always <3 Thank you to everyone who comments and kudos, seriously it means so much <3


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompto returns, but he isn't what he seems.

Gladio hated when Ignis was _right_. After 23 years, he probably should've been used to it by now, since Ignis was _always_ right, but this time he really hadn't expected their dumbass prince to just run off into the woods in the middle of the fucking winter when the hunt was so close to being finished.

He'd howled after him, barking when he saw Noctis slip away from him. Tricky bastard. Gladio couldn't help but wonder if he had planned this. Maybe meeting Lunafreya and leading a hunt had been too much for him and he'd finally fucking snapped or some shit.

Dashing through the snow, paws hit the ground as he tried desperately to smell where the prince had gone. It was difficult to see through the wind whipping up blusters of snow, and he thought he had smelled fox too? They weren't far from the border of Niflheim, but no foxes should be anywhere near their border or their territory.

Gladio's eyes widened when he suddenly realized where Noctis had gone. There was no way he wouldn't trail a fox scent, especially when he probably thought it could belong to the one person he'd been looking for for so long.

There was no way...

Gladio's pace quickened, and he could barely see where he was going, however he was following his nose, focused on the prince and the smell of fox.

He halted at the clearing when he saw the scene in front of him; Noctis, back in his human form laying on the ground as Prompto had him in a choke hold. Gladio could barely process the scene before he ran forward and bashed his head into Prompto's side who yelped out, rolling off of the prince's body. Noctis coughed, sitting up slowly, while Gladio took the brief moment to shift back into his human form.

Stretching out his neck, he rolled his shoulders back, ready to hit Prompto again if he had to. "What the hell is going on here?!" he growled.

Noctis rubbed his neck, and shook his head slowly. "I-I dunno," he muttered, his body trembling, and Gladio could smell the fear on Noctis' body. "I...I found him and he didn't remember who I was and then he attacked me."

Prompto began to push himself up, one hand gripping his side. Gladio could imagine a large bruise was probably forming there, he hadn't held back when he'd seen their old friend attempting to murder their prince.

Stomping over to him, Gladio stared down at Prompto, his golden eyes thin while he gazed murderously at him. "What the hell are you doing, _kid_?" he growled.

Prompto jerked in the direction of Gladio, his eyes narrow and evil. "He's my target. Let me at him!" he snarled. He attempted to stand up, but Gladio knocked the wind out of him, jerking his knee directly into Prompto's stomach. The fox's ears fell back against his head, he rolled to the side.

"Gladio! S-Stop!" Noctis cried out. "D-Don't hurt him!"

"What the hell am I supposed to do Noct? He's trying to kill you! Whoever this is, it sure as hell isn't Prompto...." he mumbled, watching as the fox gripped at his stomach, slowly trying to push himself up. Gladio reached forward and yanked his hair up, slamming Prompto head against the snow, knocking him out cold. "There we go..." he mumbled.

"What did you do!?" Noctis yelled, and he leaped up, rushing to Prompto's side.

"I don't know what's going on with him, but if that is Prompto, he'd been seriously messed with," Gladio grumbled. "I just knocked him out. Don't have to get your panties in a bunch," he scoffed, folding his arms.

Bending down, Gladio lifted the fox onto his back and began to walk back towards the main clearing where the shift back usually took place. "Is he...going to be okay?" Noctis asked, trudging his boots through the snow to catch up with the older Alpha.

"He's not dead if that's what yer askin'," Gladio muttered.

"I knew that," Noctis huffed. "I mean...will he figure out who I am...remember me?"

"I dunno, Noct," Gladio shrugged, holding Prompto's floppy body up. "I want to say he will if you just...jog his memory a little bit, but we don't know where he was, or what they did to him..."

Noctis' hand ran gently over Prompto's. His markings were completely uncovered, showing off the gentle Omega waves, and his strange flat Beta ones. His fingers trailed over the black as he walked next to Gladio. "I knew he was alive..."

Gladio smirked, nudging the side of the prince. "You sure did," he chuckled.

"I just knew there was no way he would leave without...saying something or...I dunno," Noctis muttered. "I just didn't think he would ever leave."

"Where the hell did he come from?" Gladio asked, but Noctis shrugged. It was as if Prompto had appeared just as mysteriously as he had left. He was on the border of their territories, so perhaps he had been coming back to the palace. But if he was planning on _killing_ Noctis, his return was most likely for the wrong reasons. "So I take it you don't know why he's trying to kill you, either," Gladio continued.

"No...I went to hug him, and he tried to strangle me. Wherever he's been...they obviously...brainwashed him...or...something. Prompto... _My_ Prompto would never..."

"I know," Gladio sighed softly, knowing Noctis spoke the truth. "If you can jog his memory, I'm sure he'll wanna stay and be a part of your life again," Gladio muttered, squeezing Prompto's thigh. "Wherever he was," he grunted. "He sure as hell got heavier."

"He looks a little taller," Noctis muttered, sad he'd missed the changes Prompto had underwent. "And his hair sticks up more," Noctis said, gesturing to the top of his own head. "But I actually think he looks thinner, like he hasn't really been eating."

Noctis' voice was filled with concern, and Gladio couldn't blame him. In a way, Prompto was his soulmate. He was the person Noctis wanted to spend the rest of his life with, whether they be bonded or not, and now that he was back, Gladio thought it might be possible for them. Not romantically of course, but they could at least be together.

He hoped it would make Noctis happier. Seeing the prince walk around all mopey for the past two years had been anything but easy for any of them. And Gladio was selfishly happy Prompto was back in hopes he would get more time with Iggy. Plus, he couldn't deny he himself was also happy the little fox was back, as long as they could return his memories to him, and break him of his strange desire to now kill Noctis, Gladio could start retraining him, which had always been oddly rewarding. Probably because the fox worked so damn hard.

They made their way to the main clearing, where Regis stood, looking none too pleased with either of them. "Gladiolus, where have you and _my son_ been?!" he asked, folding his arms. Though Gladio saw the older man's eyes narrow when he realized the Alpha guard was carrying something, or someone rather. "What...happened?"

"We found...Prompto," Gladio said, his gaze flicking to Noctis. The prince was oddly quiet, his gaze turned towards the ground, ears pressed against the back of his head.

"What?" Regis said, his ears sticking up as he stepped towards the two. "Gods..." he whispered, when he drew closer, his hand lifting up Prompto's bangs to see his tranquil face. "Where did you find him?"

"A clearing near Niflheim territory," Noctis mumbled.

"He needs to be locked up immediately," Gladio said, practically interrupting Noctis. "When I found the two of them, Prompto had Noctis pinned to the ground, trying to strangle him."

"What!?" Regis' voice boomed, and he turned his eyes directly towards his son. "Is this true, Noctis?"

"Yeah...But I know he's been brainwashed or...or something! It wasn't him!" Noctis exclaimed, growling at his father.

"Calm down, Noctis. I'm not going to take him away forever," Regis sighed. "But I agree with Gladio, we need to make sure he is secured until we discover what is wrong and what happened."

"...Fine," Noctis muttered.

"Gladiolus, please take Prompto to the main dungeon. Once he's woken up, we will reassess the situation and see what needs to be done."

Regis turned and headed back towards the palace, Gladio following quickly behind him. He prayed they could snap Prompto from whatever was going on in that damn head of his, or he feared Noctis would never recover from the pain Prompto left in his heart this time.

~~

The room was dark and cold when Prompto awoke, and he glanced around the room, trying to figure out where he was. It definitely wasn't anywhere in Niflheim, that was for sure. Even though he had technically been locked away, he still had a room.

So the next logical conclusion was that he had made it to Lucis. But had he actually done what he was supposed to? He couldn't remember, and he despised that.

Frequently, Prompto knew there was so much he couldn't seem to remember. Anything past Niflheim felt like a blur. His childhood with his dad in the lab, anytime he tried to recall specifics, his wrists would ache and his head would feel cloudy, like things were missing that he couldn't understand.

And lately, it had only gotten worse.

His thoughts had been so hyper-focused on one thing and one thing alone. Noctis Lucis Caelum, the Wolf Prince of Lucis.

Noctis was Prompto's target. Ardyn had trained him for this, he was _counting_ on him, and the last thing Prompto wanted to do was disappoint Ardyn. His wrists hurt just thinking about it, and he didn't want to move, keeping himself curled up on the floor.

When he'd saw Noctis, killing him should've been easy. Before blacking out, he could recall wrapping his hands around his slender neck, pushing down gently on his windpipe...but something had been strange about the entire interaction. Noctis hadn't seemed scared at all. He hadn't run when Prompto had stepped towards him, and the prince had known his name. How? His dark blue eyes had shone with a soft understanding, and he hadn't flinched away. In fact, at first, he'd been happy. Why? _Why_?

He groaned, his wrists hurting even more the more he thought about it. His ears folded down, and he wrapped his fluffy tail around his body. He must not have done it. If he had, he doubted he would be in so much pain.

 _"The quicker you do it, the faster your marks will stop hurting Prompto."_ Ardyn's voice purred and echoed in his ear and Prompto placed his hands over them, as though covering them would drown out the noise of his voice. He hated that voice, loathed it, and was also a little terrified of it.

Shocks shooting down his spine, his wrists aching with a throbbing pain he couldn't stop...but worst of all, was the empty hole inside of his chest he couldn't explain. It wasn’t a physical hole, but it was there nonetheless, he could feel it daily, the dull stab of something...missing. As if something had been there before and now no longer was. And the closer to his heat he drew, the more difficult it would be to think about it, like there was someone who was meant to help him instead of dealing with it alone as he always did.

The heats were absolutely unbearable...and he was always forced to ride them out alone, locked in his tiny room, where he'd spend about 5 days, desperate for a release that never truly came. Touching himself could really only do so much.

But all that was going to go away once he got rid of Noctis. Ardyn had promised. He'd promised him freedom, and he'd promised Prompto he'd find him a good fox Alpha, so he would no longer be alone during his heats. Of course, something about the idea of an Alpha made him feel strange, angry...but perhaps it was just because he was so damn tired of dealing with his long ass heats alone.

The door opened loudly, and Prompto jerked back, pulling him out of his thoughts as he scurried back to the corner of the room.

"Wake up, kid." The voice sounded familiar, but Prompto couldn't quite place it, and he covered his ears, shaking his head, a thought suddenly dawning on him. If he had killed the Wolf Prince...there was no way they were going to let him leave...there was no way they were going to keep him alive.

A bang on the front of the cell made Prompto's eyes open as he stared up at the large, muscular man in front of him. His ears were tall, and dark, and his long tail swished back and forth angrily. "What the hell is your problem?" the man snarled at him. "Tryin' to kill the prince? You're lucky Noct likes ya' so much or I would've killed you on the spot," he spat.

Noctis...liked him? What? Why would the prince like an assassin from Niflheim? How did he even know him? The questions spiraled around in his head, and he hissed as his wrists began to hurt even more.

"What?" The man spoke again. "Are you not going to answer me?" he snorted, and pulled a chair up to sit in front of the cell. "You know, until they figure out what's wrong with ya, they're not going to let you out of this cell. Hell, I'm pretty sure Iggy never wants to let you out, but he's just protective of his prince." The man sighed, rubbing at the bridge of his nose. "So anyway, I'll ask you again. What the hell is going on with you?"

Prompto's ears folded back against his head. "I...I don't know what you're talking about," he said finally. "I don't even know you!" he muttered. That didn't feel correct though. There was something about the wolf that seemed so familiar, the scar down his cheek...his golden eyes which glistened with frustration...but he couldn't place him. He groaned, grabbing at his wrists as they began to burn again.

"What, you don't remember anything about your time here?" The man spoke with a hint of snark to his voice, and Prompto shook his head in response. "Brainwashed I guess."

Brainwashed? No...why would he be brainwashed? He was a fox, he'd always been a fox, and Ardyn had told him how he'd been training for this his whole life. Lucis was full of horrible wolves, constantly trying to stop Niflheim from expanding, from doing what they were naturally supposed to do. The wolves were unnatural, trying to unify the lands...they wanted the power all to themselves. Wolves weren't meant to get along with rabbits or swans, or any other animals...they were hunters, and if left unchecked, they'd start to kill foxes too.

Growling, Prompto bared his teeth at the man in front of him. "Stay away from me," he hissed.

The man began to roar with laughter. "Oh little fox. Ya' may not remember me, but I sure as hell remember you, and I think it's pretty cute you're still as feisty as ever."

No, he didn't remember this man, and the more the familiar feeling tugged at his head, the more cloudy things felt. As though some thoughts and memories were being obstructed by the fog in his brain.

"W-Who are you?" Prompto whispered, tucking his knees up to his chest.

The man sighed, and for a moment, Prompto thought he looked...sad? "The name's Gladiolus Amicitia, but you called me Gladio," he said. "I'm the leader of the Wolf Guard, and my main job is to guard the prince. You know..." he chuckled, folding his arms. "You wanted to be a part of the Guard at one point. Hell, you worked so hard for it even though you're a puny little fox."

That...didn't make any sense. How could he, a fox, be a part of the Wolf Guard? No...No all his training had been with Ardyn...in preparation for this!

"No!" Prompto yelled, slamming his hands down on the hard, stone floor. The vibrations against his palms rolled up his arms, the pain throbbing against his wrists. "You're wrong! I've...I've never been here!"

Gladio sighed. "Noctis is going to be really disappointed when he hears you say that to him."

Noctis...so the prince was still alive? Maybe..he could convince this Gladio person to bring Noctis to him. He just had to act like he wanted to see the prince and-

"He...missed ya', you know?" Gladio muttered.

Prompto froze. Noctis missed him? But...why? The pain was back, spreading out all over his body. The hole he constantly felt in his chest felt like it was expanding, growing larger the more he thought about Noctis. He could see his caring, deep blue eyes, his jet black hair and robes against the white snow...he felt how smooth his skin was beneath his hands before he had tried to...

"...I-I...I don't know what you're talking about. I've never met him before today!" he yelled and pressed his head against the wall. It hurt...thinking about Noctis, it hurt more than any punishment he'd ever received in Niflheim.

Gladio sighed, as he stood up away from the chair. "I think you do know, you just don't remember. Damn foxes," he grunted, his tail flicking back and forth angrily. "Maybe you'll remember when Noct is finally allowed to talk to ya'," Gladio said, walking away from him slowly.

As much as Prompto knew he should be happy about a chance to fulfill his mission, he only felt terrified of what would happen when he saw those deep blue eyes again.

~~

"He doesn't remember anything," Gladio said, and Noctis stared, no response coming to his lips. It was the one thing he hadn't wanted to hear, but how could it not be the case? Noctis could still feel the ghost of Prompto's fingers over his neck, the slight pressure from when he had pushed down...

Of course Prompto didn't remember. Prompto... _his_ Prompto would never have done that to him.

In his mind, Noctis had always tried to imagine what their reunion would be like. He wanted to imagine Prompto running towards him, into a giant hug, a comfortable feeling as he felt his best friends arms wrap around his body. He'd tell Noctis he was so happy to see him, and Noctis would welcome him home.

Instead, Prompto's hand had wrapped around his neck, and Gladio had knocked the fox out, and dragged him to the jail cell in the basement of the palace.

"Noct?" Ignis said, and gently placed a hand on his shoulder.

"...yeah," Noctis said, the only word he could find in his vocabulary.

"The Niffs must've done something to him," Gladio said. "I have no idea how deep the brainwashing runs but-"

"I'm going to break him of it," Noctis said, looking up at the older wolves.

"Noct..." Ignis said slowly. "We don't know what happened to him. It has been two years and we don't how deeply embedded his new...thoughts are."

Frowning, Noctis stepped back from Ignis, glaring at both of them. "I don't care," he snapped. "We're best friends! We...we were...." He couldn't say they were mates even if it was true. It didn't matter if it had only lasted for a few hours, it had left an impression on Noctis, and he could only assume it had done the same for Prompto.

"I know you were but-"

"So it doesn't matter. The second I talk to him, talk about some memories and stuff, I _know_ he'll remember," Noctis whispered, clenching his fists down by his side.

"Look, Noct, I agree you should try talkin' to him, but I don't want you to be disappointed if...he doesn't remember," Gladio muttered. "I said a few things to him, and he seemed like he had no idea what I was talking about. Actually he just looked like he was in pain."

Noctis felt his breathing grow shallow. He was in pain? What the hell had happened to his best friend? He knew Prompto had been taken...the fox never would've left on his own... And hearing Gladio talk about Prompto in such a way...it made the anger in his chest slowly creep upward.

"You know of all people know how hard Prompto works, how much he cared about all of us! How can you assume that’s just lost forever?!" he snapped.

Gladio frowned. "We don't know what kinda technology Niflheim used! They've got tons more shit than we even know about!" He growled, looking at the prince. The two Alphas always grew far more heated than they needed to whenever they argued. "It might not be up to him whether he breaks out of it or not!"

"Noct, please calm down. We don't know what we're dealing with."

"Have some faith in him, in me!" Noctis yelled. "At least let me _try_ talking to him!" He couldn't bear the thought of Prompto sitting down in the cell, alone, cold, probably terrified. And if he didn't remember who they were...it was probably even worse than Noctis thought.

"Well then Gladio and I will be joining you," Ignis nodded. "If you truly insist upon going."

"W-Why?!" Noctis said, his ears folding down. "You already have him in a cage! Why can't I just speak to him on my own?"

"Noctis, Prompto attempted to murder you today. We do not know what he's capable of, or what he might try and do. If Gladio and I are there, we can protect you. There is nothing you can't say in front of the two of us," Ignis insisted.

"I...guess..." he grumbled. They did know practically everything that had happened between the two...Noctis just wanted his time alone with his old best friend. He knew if he talked to him, he could find the right things to say, the things that would help Prompto remember. He'd been waiting for him. He'd been waiting for Prompto to come home, and now that he had...he was going to do everything in his power to keep him here with him. He wouldn't let anyone take his best friend away...and even if they couldn't be together in the way Noctis wanted...at least Prompto could stay with him and be by his side, and he wouldn't have to miss him so damn much.

"It's just a safety precaution," Ignis explained. "We will not interrupt your time with him. But please Noctis, we don't want you to get your hopes up...it is possible Prompto will not be able to retrieve his old memories..."

"I don't care, Iggy," Noctis said, his nails digging into his skin. "I'll go visit him every damn day if I have to. I'll make sure he remembers. I don't care how long it takes."

"You're an idiot, Noct," Gladio snorted. "But I can't deny, that I respect your, uh, determination?"

"I finally found him, you guys..." he sighed, covering his eyes. He'd wanted to cry about it, because even if the person in the cell wasn't quite _Prompto_ he was so close to having his best friend back, it almost didn't seem real. "I'm not ever letting him go again."

Above all else, he wanted to keep him safe. He loved him. That was the truth, and even if Prompto didn't remember, Noctis would keep him in the cell until he remembered that he loved him too.

~~

The basement was cold, and his steps echoed against the stone corridor as he walked closer to Prompto's cell. Noctis despised that they were keeping him here. Yes, he had tried to kill him, and he knew that was a punishable offense. Actually, he was lucky Gladio hadn't killed Prompto on the spot. Still, he didn't wish for Prompto to be so alone down here. There was no way his memory would be jogged if he was trapped alone in the basement.

"Can't we move him back to his room, keep him locked up in there."

"Tch," Gladio scoffed. "You remember what happened the last time we tried to keep Prompto locked in his room? And you haven't seen him yet, he's...different Noct," Gladio mumbled.

"I guess," he grumbled. "I just hate knowing he's down here by himself."

"Get him to remember you, and then he can do what he wants," Gladio chuckled, patting Noctis heavily on the back.

"Heh, yeah," Noctis said, turning the corner to where the cell was located.

He could barely see Prompto it was so dark, but when he squinted, he could see his bushy, blond tail, wrapped around his body. He looked fed, and clean, so Noctis was happy to see the guards hadn't been treating him poorly. Not that Gladio would ever allow for such behavior.

Noctis stepped forward and knelt to the ground, his tail curling around his body as he stared at his old best friend in the corner. Prompto looked mostly the same, though Noctis was sure he looked thinner. His eyes held a fear Noctis hadn't seen before, and he hated it, wanted to wipe all the fear immediately out of his eyes.

"Hey Prom."

"W-What?" he trembled, raising his head to look up at Noctis. "Have you come to kill me finally?"

Noctis frowned, his ears folding back against his head. Did Prompto really believe they were going to kill him? He supposed if he didn't remember anything about them, and had only known what Niflheim had told him, it wasn't so farfetched to think wolves would kill a lone fox.

"No, Prom..." Noctis said, sadness laced through his tone. He hadn't wanted to cry, especially not in front of Gladio and Ignis, but seeing Prompto in front of him, cowering in the corner, looking at him with eyes that said he had no idea who he was...Noctis bit his lip, attempting to hold back his tears. "It's me, Noct, do you really...not remember?"

"Noct?" Prompto said slowly, his body unfurling as he slowly walked towards the front of the cage. His bright blue eyes stared into Noctis' blankly, as though his mind were reeling, struggling to remember. He winced, and began to shake his hands out, as though he were trying to toss the pain off of his fingertips."P-Prince Noctis?"

"Yeah. Do you remember?" Noctis asked softly. It was hard not to get his hopes up, especially having Prompto so closes to him, so alive. He wanted to reach his hands around the bars and pull Prompto's cheeks to his, kissing him. He wanted to tell him he loved him. Two years had passed, and none of his feelings had gone away, and they were only amplified, having Prompto directly in front of him.

"You're...my target," he whispered.

"Noct..." Ignis warned, both him and Gladio taking a step forward the second they heard the word 'target' fall from Prompto's lips.

"No, Prom. No..." Noctis shook his head. "You're...my best friend. We're....You grew up here, you-"

"No! No, no, no!" Prompto yelled, covering his ears as he folded them against his head, shaking back and forth. "You're not my friend," he panicked. "You're going to kill me!"

"I would never hurt you," Noctis said gently, reaching his hand through the bar. "Please Prompto, you have to believe me, you have to remember."

Tears glistened in Prompto's eyes as he saw the hand come through the bars, his eyes blinking as he glanced from the hand to Noctis' eyes. It almost looked as though he was about to remember exactly everything he'd forgotten.

In an instant, his eyes changed to a frown and he dug his fingers into Noctis' arm, yanking him forward. Noctis' head hit against the bar, and he winced as Prompto's fingers moved around Noctis' throat, grabbing at him. "They told me...you would tell me that. They told me not to believe your _lies_."

"Noct!" Ignis yelled and grabbed his shoulders, yanking him away from Prompto's grip, a few scratch marks appearing on his pale skin. "That's enough. We're done for today," Ignis muttered.

How had this happened? Anger boiled under his skin. Who the hell had made Prompto think he was lying about their friendship? Noctis would kill them...rip out their heart, so they could understand the pain of the hole he was constantly living with. First, Prompto was taken from him, and now, he didn't even remember.

"I'll help you remember, Prom!" Noctis yelled. It was useless to argue with Ignis because he knew the advisor was not going to let him talk to Prompto anymore today. Not with that stunt he just pulled. Noctis would be lucky if Ignis let him do anything with Prompto again, though in reality he'd probably make him sit farther away.

Prompto winced again and gripped at his wrists, his body trembling. He seemed to be in so much pain, as if whenever he did something wrong, or not quite right, he'd be punished for it. Noctis swallowed. "I'm coming back tomorrow, and the next day, and the next...until you remember exactly who I am and who you are!" Noctis called out, before turning around against Ignis.

"I want to be alone. I'm going to my room. Please tell Luna I don't want any visitors this evening," Noctis said quietly. He walked towards the staircase, blinking back the tears that threatened to fall from the corners of his eyes.

~~

"This is a disaster," Ignis sighed, plopping down in a chair in his bedroom. Gladio shut the door behind them, leaning his back against the wooden frame.

"No kiddin'," he grumbled. Seeing Ignis like this, so worried, so _concerned_ for Noctis always tested Gladio's patience. He knew it was the advisor's job, and oh, how many times they'd discussed that, but it still made his instincts frustrated beyond his own comprehension.

"And right as Lady Lunafreya got here." Ignis rubbed his forehead, and Gladio stepped forward, gently placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Iggy..."

"I apologize, Gladio...I just thought...I thought perhaps with Lunafreya being here and Noctis finally seeming to be a little more...happy...I..." he muttered.

"Yeah I get it," Gladio said. "It's not ideal. That Prompto would come back to him right now."

"No," Ignis whispered. He turned his green eyes up towards Gladio, his pale ears folding down against his head. "Please don't take this the wrong way. I am of course thrilled to have Prompto back. I just..."

"If he doesn't remember who Noctis is, it's almost like we're right back to the place where we lost him the first time," Gladio finished, knowing the man was struggling to find the correct way to word his feelings.

"...Yes..." he said so softly. "I hate it, Gladio...I hate seeing him hurting so much." Ignis stood up and slammed his hand against the table. "It is our job to protect him, and yet...and yet..."

Stepping forward, Gladio wrapped his arms around Ignis from behind. "Hey...Iggy...sh..." he whispered, planting a soft kiss on his shoulder. "It's not like we could plan all this shit with Prompto. We didn't know he was still alive, and how the hell did we know he was going to come back."

Ignis' hands were sweaty when he rest them over Gladio's on his stomach, his head falling back against his shoulder with a long sigh. "I know..." he mumbled. "I just hate seeing him in pain over this again. I watched him for two years...two...long years...suffering alone...not letting me help him and I just...every time I see him walk away from me like that, I feel I've failed him." Ignis let out a shaky breath, as though he were holding back his tears.

Gladio trembled. He hated it, everything with Ignis was always about Noctis. He'd known it would be like this when he fell in love with Ignis all those years ago, and he'd promised he'd wait, he'd promised he'd be okay with this, but with every passing day it grew harder and harder to control his Alpha instincts.

But Gladio knew his place.

Protecting Noctis was, of course, Gladio's job as well, and these past two years hadn't been easy on any of them, but Gladio had watched Ignis stress and stress, desperately trying to do anything to relieve Noctis of the pain he'd felt losing Prompto. Gladio's instinct was to try and protect the man he loved, even when Ignis had pushed him away multiple times.

"Iggy..." Gladio said, brushing his fingers over his lower stomach. "You can't blame yourself. What happened to Prompto was no one's fault...and what happened to the two of them...well they were idiot kids..." Gladio murmured, pressing his face against Ignis neck.

Betas didn't have scents, or rather, their scents were incredibly weak. But this close to Ignis, Gladio thought he smelled delicious, like the perfect blend of coffee and mint. Fresh, clean...Ignis. Gladio could've buried himself in that scent. He loved it, loved him. Ignis was going to be his mate, and Gladio wished he could calm him with his own scent or do anything to make the Beta feel better, but nothing an Alpha could do would really affect him.

Ignis' breathing began to even out, his eyes shutting against Gladio. His long fingers trailed over Gladio's thick ones. "Do you think...do you think...Prompto will ever remember who Noctis is?" Ignis asked softly.

"I sure as hell hope so," Gladio muttered. "Seeing him a few times myself, it seems like there are things he's trying to remember but he just can't quite figure it out. His real memories have gotta be somewhere though...tucked away."

A soft huff left Ignis' nose, his chest rising and falling against Gladio's hold. "If anyone can bring Prompto back, I'm sure it is Noctis."

"Me too," Gladio mumbled.

Ignis tail moved back, wrapping around Gladio's large dark one, squeezing it gently. A small gasp left his lips. It was such an intimate gesture, one Ignis often didn't share until they were together during one of Gladio’s ruts.

A chuckle left his lips. "Are you so surprised that I am looking to you for comfort?" Ignis whispered, sadness in his tone. "I have been a horrible mate-to-be, haven't I?" he said softly.

"'Course not," Gladio murmured, squeezing his tail back while he pressed his lips to his neck. Even when Ignis was so focused on Noctis, and worrying about the prince, Gladio couldn't help but adore him.

Ignis unwrapped their tails and turned around, gently touching at Gladio's cheeks. "I...I haven't helped you with your ruts lately."

Gladio turned his cheek to kiss at Ignis' palm. "We talked about that. I was getting too close to knotting ya'. You can't help me until you're ready to be mated. That's on me, not you."

"And then I slept with Noctis..."

A small growl left Gladio's throat, and he gripped at Ignis' waist pulling him closer as he wrapped his tail back around Ignis' squeezing possessively. "We...already talked about that too..." he said maintaining his composure.

"I'm sorry, I know you hate it..." Ignis mumbled, looking down. "And I'm constantly worrying about Noctis and talking to you about it, and really it's not fair. I'm not an Alpha, but I am intelligent enough to know that it must bother you...it must be painful to hold back your desires and-"

"Iggy," Gladio whispered, resting his forehead against Ignis'. It was rare Ignis got so...disheveled with his thoughts. "It's okay."

Ignis' thumbs brushed over the slight stubble on Gladio's jaw. "Are you sure?"

Gladio nodded. "'M'sure...It's both our job to protect the prince, and we're gonna figure all this out, and eventually we're going to be together. I promised you I'd wait, and I'm keepin' that promise," he said.

Ignis sighed, his green eyes shutting behind his frames. "I love you, so much Gladiolus," he whispered, pressing their lips together. 

Gladio was always weak to Ignis, no matter what he did, and he wrapped his arms around him tighter, deepening their kiss. "I love you too Igs."

"I'm sorry to make you wait," he muttered.

"Well...let me stay with you tonight," Gladio whispered, kissing at Ignis' jaw, and from the way a small sigh left Ignis' lips, Gladio knew the man wasn't going to say no.

~~

The prince came to visit him everyday, just as he had promised, and Prompto was confused, to say the least.

The first time he'd come, he'd sat directly across from the cell, looking straight at Prompto in the eye, and everything had hurt. His body ached as he desperately tried to place why those eyes made his heart beat faster than it ever had before.

But now, Noctis sat far away, in a chair, and he mostly he would tell Prompto stories. The first few times, Noctis tried to engage, to get Prompto to talk to him, but now the prince no longer did that. Instead he just...talked.

One time he spoke about Prompto helping him sneak out of the palace into the gardens to play in the snow. He'd talked about how no one else would ever do fun things with him, Prompto had been the only one. He'd help him skip meetings and dodge his father. He helped him feel like a real _kid_ , not just a prince. "You were fun. Always smiling. Even on the snowiest of winter days, when the clouds covered up the whole damn sky, you were like this ray of sunshine. I always got a little scared you'd melt the snow you were so bright."

Prompto couldn't understand why Noctis' voice trembled so much when he spoke of that.

"I love you, Prom. I'll see you tomorrow."

And he really didn't understand why Noctis was constantly telling him he loved him.

The fox hadn't expected Noctis to actually come everyday to talk to him, he'd planned on spending the rest of his days wasting in away in the cell. Honestly, it was probably better that he just die right here, right now, rather than go back to Niflheim and have Ardyn punish him. The thought sent a shiver down Prompto's spine.

Sometimes Noctis would bring Ignis or Gladio. Ignis didn't talk much, but Gladio often did. Gladio liked to talk about training both him and Noctis, but Prompto couldn't recall that either. "You trained the hardest of any of my recruits. You were going to be the best damn guard, probably because you love this idiot so much."

Love? He didn't love Noctis. He was going to _kill_ Noctis. Even the world love made his wrists ache and his chest pound in a very unpleasant manner. Whenever they brought the word up, Prompto always recoiled, the pain in his wrists too much for him to bear.

After about a week of this, Noctis took a seat in front of the cell again, much to Ignis' dismay. "I wanna tell you a story, Prom," Noctis said, his tail swishing around his body. "And I think it would be better if you could really...see me," he said.

The intrigue was too much for the fox, and he slowly scooted towards him. Noctis' blue eyes were deep, and stared at the ground. It would be a perfect time to reach out, and possibly slam his head against the bars-

No...No Ignis and Gladio were here, and they wouldn't stand for that, and perhaps if he was on his best behavior...they might begin to trust him?

His ears stood up as he watched Noctis take a long and deep breath. "When we were kids, I promised you...I was going to make you my mate. And...Prom, I really meant that," he said slowly. Mates?! _He_ was supposed to be mates with the Wolf Prince of Lucis?! But he was a fox...and- He winced as a stabbing pain hit him in the chest.

Why? Why did these people act like they knew him so well when he'd never even been to this place before?

"And then...one night you...or I...I think it was my fault. I had just had a rut and you came to my room and you smelled my scent and it threw you into a heat. And Gods Prom, you smelled so damn good." Prompto watched as Noctis clenched his hands in his lap. "Anyway..." he continued softly. "We...we ended up mating. Officially. I gave you my knot and we created a bond."

The prince held up his golden wristlets, pushing them down as he showed Prompto his fiery Alpha marks. "Your Omega marks were here with mine."

His wrists began to burn as he looked, and he started to shake out his hands. Why the hell did it hurt so damn much?! He began to glance around the cell nervously, as if the walls were slowly closing in on him. Was he even breathing? His breaths were too shallow to tell.

"And then...we were bonded. We were _bonded_ Prom," Noctis said hurriedly. "It was only for a few hours, but we were. My father, my _idiot_ father made us break our bond." Noctis placed a hand over his chest. "You feel it right? You feel the hole in your chest."

The stabbing grew worse the longer Noctis spoke. Like someone was jabbing a knife into his heart over and over. He'd always felt this _hole_ the prince spoke of. He'd always felt it like something had been ripped from him, something that was supposed to be there and now no longer was. He'd always thought it was because he was unmated, but...maybe it was something else.

His head began to throb, and the room slowly started to spin. He tried to concentrate on the prince, but the words kept swirling around in his head.

 _"You feel it right? You feel the hole in your chest."_ Prompto's hand lifted to his chest and tried to grip at the robes obstructing him from his heart.

Of course he felt it. He'd been feeling it for years.

"Because I feel it everyday. Every time I wake up and see the sun, every time I walk by your room, every time I think about having to mate with Luna, every time I think of your scent, your smile, your hair." Tears were streaming down the prince's cheek as he clutched at his own robes.

Why was the prince crying? For him? It seemed so genuine...how could he possibly be lying about this. Swallowing, Prompto felt his hand begin to reach out for the prince, his body trembling. If only he could stop his tears.

"It's you, Prompto. It's always been you. I love you, and nothing is going to change that. It's my fault that you're like this, and I regret letting my father force us to break our bond. It's all I think about..." he whispered, tears dripping onto his hand.

Prompto's hand lay on Noctis' cheek, gently brushing some of the tears away. _'Don't cry, Noct, don't cry!'_ It was what he was yearning to say, but Prompto couldn't find his voice. It was trapped behind something blocking him.

"And when you were gone...I kept watching the gardens, waiting for you to come back, so it could be just like the day we met and you taught me to make snow angels."

Prompto froze. His eyes widened as he stared at Noctis in front of him. Snow angels?

_'When there's this much snow on the ground, you gotta make a snow angel!'_

It was white, so white. Like an undisturbed blanket, untouched and pure.

_'"Okay, okay. I'll teach you!"_

There had been a small wolf there though. A boy, his own age, long black fluffy tail, dark ears, pale skin. He'd been beautiful. And though he was so dark against the stark white snow, Prompto had known, in that very moment, he was an angel.

_'You gotta move your arms up and down, and kick your legs out and in! Like this.'_

They had laughed, the other boy had been so _curious_ and he walked through the snow as if he'd never touched it before, like it was a forbidden fruit he had never been allowed to taste. They'd been awkward, flopping in the snow, the fur on their tails wet and matted, but together they had made the most beautiful snow angels Prompto had ever seen.

_'And tada! It's a snow angel!'_

He'd found out Noctis was a prince then, and he'd been ripped away from him, but they found their way back to each other. So many times had Prompto been ripped away from Noctis, but he always found his way back, no matter what. They were soulmates. Best friends.

_He loved him, had always loved him and would always love him._

Suddenly, he found himself face to face with his prince, tears streaming down both of their faces, and all Prompto could do was stroke at his cheek through the metal bar and whisper "Noct" over and over, like he'd never forgotten him at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so happy to finally bring Prompto back! TBH I am almost done writing this story, and I can't believe it. I mean I still have a good amount of chapters to post, but it's crazy to me. I love writing this story and the response has been AMAZING! Like thank you guys so much for all your comments and I can't believe it hit 300 kudos, for my first longer fic for FFXV I am so flattered and can't wait to write more :) Also I did write a fic in this verse for Gladnis week where they sleep together if you want to check that out [here](http://archiveofourown.org/works/12977118). I don't think they'll have a smut scene in this actual fic since Promptis is the focus! Thank you to xladysaya for beta-ing as always, even during your busy week!!
> 
> I received fanart this week from benelline!! WHICH WAS SO COOL! [here](http://benelline.tumblr.com/post/169487035183/im-late-to-the-party-but-i-finally-got-the-chance) and [here](http://benelline.tumblr.com/post/169522929138/wolf-prince-noctis-protecting-his-royal-best)! 
> 
> and I also commissioned some art from Mimi earlier and you can see that [here](http://mimi19art.tumblr.com/post/169605267140/very-floofy-promptis-commission-for)


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everything is seemingly fine now that Prompto remembers Noctis.

Prompto cried, tears rolling down his cheeks, and he blubbered out apologies and Noctis’ name over and over.

"N-Noct, I'm...I'm sorry...I missed you so much," he whimpered, his hands clinging to Noctis' forearms, his head leaning against the cool bars of the cell.

Noctis immediately met him there, his own head pushing against the bars so he could be as close to him as possible. "You don't need to apologize, Prom. It wasn't you. It wasn't. I'm just so happy you're back," he said breathlessly. It had taken so long for him to finally get Prompto to remember who he was, and now that he was back to his normal self, maybe his life could start feeling normal again. His best friend was back.

"I...I didn't mean to...it just hurt so much..." Prompto whispered, and Noctis slipped his hands through the bars, cupping his best friend's face. He wiped the tears from his cheeks, his thumbs brushing over Prompto's beautiful freckled skin. Even after two years, Prompto was one of the cutest people Noctis had ever seen.

"Yeah...I know..." Noctis whispered, stroking his skin.

Prompto took a moment, sniffling as he stared at Noctis. "I...I wanted to run away. It hurt... so much and I thought you wouldn't want to be around me or to see me anymore-"

"Prom...no...no never..." Noctis whispered, talking over him.

"-So I just...opened the window and dove into the snow...I didn't mean to actually run away...I meant to come back! I just needed a break and then he...he..." he sniffed, and shook his head, not wanting to say anymore.

"Who?" Noctis asked, gripping at Prompto's cheeks. "Did someone kidnap you, Prom?" Noctis asked.

Slowly, the fox nodded his head up and down, his body trembling. His hands covered his wrist, his fingers brushing over the bronze wristlets. "T-That man...Ardyn. You met him...that one day-"

"Yeah," Noctis muttered. "He wanted you to come back with him. I've met him a few times."

Ardyn had acted as though he had some sort of trump card against Noctis, and the prince was sure he must have been talking about Prompto. But it was a little odd, how easily he'd broken Prompto from the brainwashing. Perhaps Ardyn had underestimated how close he and Noctis were.

"He....hates the wolves..." Prompto whispered. "He wants to destroy you and your father I just...I don't really know why..."

"Gods..." Noctis muttered. "I figured...he came to see us multiple times...trying to convince me to not mate with Luna, but my father refused every time...He threatened me with something that would ignite my rage or whatever...I think he was talking about you."

Prompto nodded. "Yeah...He wanted me to kill you, Noct..." Prompto whispered so gently. His voice shaking. "At first I fought against him, and...as time went on...I couldn't. Every time I thought about you my wrists and chest would ache...like someone was stabbing me over and over...and couldn't get it to stop!" he exclaimed, shaking his head, leaning his face against Noctis' hands.

"Hey...it's okay...We fixed it. We got you out, and now...you remember everything...right?" Noctis asked softly. "You don't have to talk about that place if you don't want to."

"Yeah..." Prompto nodded.

"Good. So we can get you out of this cage and set you back up in your room. You're home Prom. You're home now."

"I know...I know..." he nodded, a few more tears rolling down his cheeks. Noctis hated seeing Prompto cry, but he knew these were mostly tears of relief.

"Iggy," Noctis said, pulling away from his best friend. "Let's get Prompto out of here so he can be more comfortable."

Ignis frowned, and both he and Gladio glanced at each other. "I'm...not so sure that's a good idea, Noct," Ignis muttered.

"...What?" Noctis retorted quickly, his eyes filled with disbelief.

"I understand you broke him of the brainwashing for now, but...we do not know if his other mind will take back over. For now, I think it best to wait a few days-"

"No! Prompto's already been trapped in here for days! We can't just leave him in the cold cell by himself."

"...Noct, I think this is for the best. Just a few more days to be certain everything is alright."

"A few days? A few days!" Noctis growled, his tail swishing back and forth. How dare they try and keep Prompto from him...he'd been working so hard to get him back and now-

"Noct...calm your instincts," Gladio hissed, stepping in front of Ignis.

"Tch. You're one to talk," he retorted under his breath.

"Hey look," Gladio snarled, stepping towards him. Prompto's ears folded down, his tail wrapping around his body as he saw how angry Gladio looked. Both boys were familiar with how unruly Gladio could be when he was angry. "I'm happy Prompto is back too, but he tried to kill ya'! It's me and Iggy's job to keep you safe. I'm sure Prompto doesn't want to relapse and almost kill you either. So this is for the best," Gladio snapped.

"Y-Yeah...Noct...I don't want to accidentally slip or something and maybe hurt you!" he exclaimed, his tail thumping against the ground.

Growling, Noctis turned back towards the cage and squeezed Prompto's hands. "Then I'll keep coming everyday to see you. I'll keep you company..." Noctis had lost Prompto once, and the idea of not seeing him, even for a day, felt painful. He finally had him back, and he wasn't going to let Prompto out of his sight if he couldn't help it.

"I'll be okay, Noct!" Prompto giggled softly. "I'd rather be sure everything is safe!"

Raising Prompto's hands to the bar, Noctis pressed his lips to his fingers. "I love you Prom...nothing has changed that..." he whispered so softly, and Prompto gasped, his ears twitching against his head.

His face began to heat up, the red highlighting his adorable freckles in the darkness. "I l-love you, too... Noct..." he said. His hands trembled and he winced slightly, as though he were in pain and Noctis hated it. Hated that Prompto had to deal with such horrible things.

"I'll be back tomorrow..." Noctis said, reluctantly letting go of his hands. "Wait for me."

"Always," Prompto hummed.

~~

Ignis hated seeing Noctis angry. It was uncharacteristic for him, though really Prompto always brought out Noctis' Alpha instincts, and Ignis knew it was probably left over from when they had mated. Most likely those feelings would never go away.

The advisor wanted to believe Prompto was okay now...that everything would be completely fine from here on out, but he wanted to give it a few days, to make sure he didn't relapse. It could potentially be incredibly dangerous if Prompto suddenly remembered his programmed goal.

Noctis' mind, however, was completely ruled by his instincts currently, and Ignis could tell he was not happy about him and Gladio forcing the prince to wait.

"Noct...It really is for the best. We need to be safe..." Ignis said gently as they climbed back up to the main floor of the palace.

"I get it, Ignis," he snapped, and Ignis’ ears folded down against his head. He knew the prince would be mad, since it meant being separated from Prompto a little bit longer. Ignis knew of the frustration; being so close to the person you wanted, and being unable to have them.

"Don't talk to him like that, brat," Gladio snorted. "I get you're pissed, but we're just trying to keep your ass safe."

"Gladio-"

"I. get. it." Noctis growled, and was quick to storm away from the two the second they made it up the stairs.

Ignis sighed, watching as he flicked his tail down the hallway. He appreciated Gladio sticking up for him, but he hated seeing the Prince grow so angry.

"Fuckin' brat," Gladio snapped, folding his arms. His large bushy tail swished back and forth.

"Mmm...it's hard, Gladio," Ignis muttered. "Prompto is finally back and he just wants to spend time with him. I understand we're not making it easy for him..."

"Don't defend that shit!" Gladio rolled his eyes. "Do you really believe Prompto is back? Fully?" Gladio muttered.

Sighing, Ignis adjusted the glasses on his face as he stared down the hall where the prince had disappeared to, just moments before. "I...I don't know..." he admitted. "Based on how Ardyn spoke. It worries me," Ignis said. "It can't have been that easy."

Gladio snorted. "Yeah exactly. Or maybe their love is just _too_ strong."

"How romantic of you Gladio," Ignis teased, nudging into him.

"Hey it would be kind of cute," he chuckled. Occasionally, the advisor was reminded of what a hopeless romantic his future mate could be.

"Indeed..." Ignis muttered. As much as he wanted to agree, really Noctis still being in love with Prompto was more of an issue rather than anything else. Lady Lunafreya was at the palace, and Noctis' upcoming rut was meant to be spent with her. As much as he loved Prompto...there was no way they could be together. Even after two years nothing had changed.

"I know what you're thinking," Gladio muttered, interrupting Ignis' train of thought.

His ears stood at attention, his eyes widening. "Do you?"

"Yeah. You're worried about Noct and Luna."

"A bit yes."

"I think you're jumping to conclusions. I would hope Noct learned his lesson," Gladio snorted.

"It's been two years, and seeing Prompto again has re-ignited his emotions..." Ignis hummed, his tail swinging back and forth as he contemplated his thoughts.

Gladio wrapped his arm around him. "Don't worry about it so much. We'll cross that bridge when we get to it, 'kay?" Gladio muttered, stroking at Ignis' shoulder.

"Alright...it is more important to focus on whether or not Prompto is better."

"Yeah. That's step one," Gladio chuckled.

A soft sigh slipped through the Beta's lips. Somehow, Gladio had this way about him. This incredible ability to bring Ignis back to reality when he often let his thoughts wander much too far. He always appreciated it.

"Yes. We should focus on making sure Prompto is in fact ready to come out of the cell. On top of that, I should re-dress his room. It has been empty for two years after all."

"Hm, seems you're more optimistic than I thought," Gladio snorted, a small grin pulled across his lips.

"Well we did see Noct make progress," he shrugged.

And they continued to see Noctis make progress. The next morning, the three had returned to the cell, and Prompto had immediately shot up, tail wagging as they all approached. He and Noctis spent hours reminiscing about their time as children, happy fond memories the prince was so thrilled to recall. He was laughing, and his face and expressions looked to be so alive. It warmed Ignis' heart, having the chance to see his Prince finally looking so happy again.

In the days that followed, Prompto got a bit more brave, speaking of what had happened in his time in Niflheim.

"When I got there, they treated me real nice," he said. "They told me I was special...for being a Perfect Omega, and they wanted to make me feel special. They also always to told me how awful the wolves were, and they were convinced you guys had brainwashed me!" he explained. "Anytime I defended you guys, they always said I was wrong, and that you'd been fooling me, and really you'd...never looked at me as one of you..." Prompto's eyes fell when he said that, staring at the ground.

He talked about how he constantly felt the sting of their broken bond. He felt similar things Noctis had mumbled about here and there every so often, and whenever he mentioned the bond, or loving Noctis he would wince, and grip at his wrists, as though he were in a great deal of pain. It wasn't subtle, and both Ignis and Gladio had noticed it right away. Prompto had mentioned them using pain in regards to memories with Noctis, and Ignis could only assume they did so to make the young fox associate terrible things with his prince.

"I'm...just really happy to be back," he sighed, and Ignis couldn't help but smile. Everyone seemed happier with Prompto back, even if he was confined to the cage for now. Gladio had been more active, training a bit more, and Noctis had been actively participating in princely duties with his father, and he seemed to bounce through the hallways of the palace.

Ignis was pleased as well, even if something, just a little thing, pulled at the back of his mind, making him extremely worried.

~~

A week later, Prompto was finally released. He hadn't shown any signs of relapsing, and he'd spent the majority of his time in the cell sleeping, or talking to Noctis about their time as children. Occasionally, the memories stung at his chest and his wrists, making his hands clench by his sides, but Prompto always powered through them. This was Noctis after all. He loved him, his best friend, and the sooner he acted normal, the quicker Ignis would let him go.

Towards the end of the week, Prompto knew it was getting better because Ignis had been bringing meals he had cooked himself-some of Prompto's old favorites. And of course, it had tasted beyond delicious. "Mmm Iggy!" he sighed, flopping back against the cell. "I can't believe how good that tasted!" he hummed, licking at the spoon.

"I thought you might enjoy that," he said, bringing his hand to his pocket to hold a key. "I set up your room so everything is almost back to normal. You'll have to go to the tailor to be measured for new robes as it does seem like perhaps you got a little bit taller," Ignis teased.

Prompto's eyes widened and he stood on his tiptoes. "A-Are you..."

Ignis just nodded, as he turned the key. "But Prompto." His green eyes were serious as he spoke, his hand holding the key against the cell door. "I need you to listen to me. If anything feels strange...or off...I want you to tell us immediately."

He nodded. "I will...of course I will. I...I don't want to hurt Noctis. Even when I couldn't...think straight. It never felt right." Even now, he felt his hands tingle, his wrists burning. Thinking about Noctis caused so much turmoil in his body, Prompto could barely handle it. But it was _Noctis._

Ignis opened the door, and Prompto was upstairs faster than he'd even run upstairs before. His eyes widened when he stepped into the palace halls, his tail swishing back and forth. Wrapping his arms around himself he swayed back and forth with a smile. "I missed this place so much!" he cheered.

"Go find Noct. He'll be very surprised," Ignis chuckled, gently patting Prompto on the shoulder.

"Yeah! Gotcha!" he said, waving to Ignis as he dashed towards Noctis' room. Running through the halls brought back so many memories. He could almost hear Noctis and his voices, laughing and giggling as they quietly sneaked from the palace, running through the woods to explore nooks and crannies they had never found before.

Prompto slowed his gait as he came to Noctis' room, his head throbbing. Why did it hurt so much when he thought about Noctis? He could recall needles and voices telling him how horrible Noctis was over and over, and his ears folded against his head, his wrists throbbing. He could smell Noctis now, his Alpha scent permeating into his nose. Scents didn't normally affect him when he wasn't in heat, but right now he felt almost overwhelmed.

He had to kill it...he had to kill the pain...

Noctis was the cause of the pain...Noctis was who he was supposed to be here for. Pressing his hand against the door he felt a stinging pain in his chest. In the prince's room, it would've been so easy to step inside and wrap his hands around his throat...

Gods...what was he thinking?! He couldn't kill Noctis! He loved Noctis! He stepped away from the door and glanced down the empty hallway, shaking out his hands. Maybe he should've stayed in the cell longer...maybe being around all these familiar places was setting something off? Ignis had told him to tell him if something felt off...but he was fine now, right?

Shaking his head, Prompto knocked on the door. He knew actually _seeing_ Noctis would help him. It was the thing that had always helped before.

"Come in..." he called softly from behind the door.

Hand on the knob, Prompto turned it and peaked his head in. "Looks like there's a fresh batch of snow on the ground if you wanna sneak outside today," Prompto grinned.

Watching Noctis slowly realize Prompto was actually standing in his room, was one of the cutest things the fox had ever witnessed. His long ears stood on end, and his dark blue eyes slowly opened wide, the gentle smirk pulling across is lips as he jumped up and dashed forward. "Prom!" he said, wrapping his arms around his best friend tightly.

His eyes fluttered shut, and he hugged him back, leaning into the gentle touch. "Iggy wanted to surprise you," he whispered, nuzzling his nose into Noctis' skin. He smelled so good...and holding him this close was so warm and comforting, even with the throbbing pain in his wrists, Prompto was just so damn happy to be close to his best friend.

"I missed you..." he whispered.

"I missed you more," Prompto teased.

Noctis pulled back. "No way. We looked for you forever. Every hunt...I looked. I kept telling everyone you were still alive and that someone had taken you. I knew Prom...I just knew you wouldn't leave me on purpose."

"I wouldn't...I can't tell you how stupid I felt when I jumped out the window. I was going to come back...I was...I...couldn't bear being apart from you!" he whimpered, clinging to his back.

"Same..." Noctis said.

"So let's celebrate..." Prompto giggled, pulling back to smirk at his best friend. Taking Noctis' hand, Prompto pulled him out of the room and tugged him down the hall towards the gardens.

It seemed only appropriate, that after all this time, they could make up for lost time in the place where they had first met.

They were adults now, but neither cared as they both leapt off the deck and into the snow. Prompto practically rolled through it when he landed on the ground flopping over onto his back. "Snow angel time, bro!" he chuckled, and waved his arms about, pushing the snow around his body.

Noctis plopped down beside him and began to move his arms and legs up and down awkwardly. But it was certainly much more expertly done than the first few times they had done it together.

Rolling forward, Prompto sat on his knees, looking at their handiwork, as his tail swished back and forth, waiting for Noctis to sit up beside him. They both chuckled, laughing at the snow blobs in front of them.

"They still don't really look like angels," Noctis teased.

Prompto scooted closer to him, and twisted his lips about. "I dunno man...they look like angels to me." He flicked his gaze to the prince, who was staring at him, not the angels. Just as he had all those years ago, his dark hair seemed to shimmer against the stark white backdrop of the garden and forest.

His cheeks felt heated and his wrists throbbed, staring at how beautiful Noctis was...It wasn't fair. Why couldn't he look at his prince and adore the way he looked without feeling so much pain throbbing through his body.

Swallowing, Noctis wrapped his tail around Prompto's and the touch made Prompto’s skin jolt. "N-Noct?" he whispered, his lips going dry.

"You're really here, right Prom?" Noctis muttered, leaning forward to press their foreheads together. "I'm not dreaming?" he asked.

Prompto shook his head slowly. "No...you're not dreaming. I'm here."

It would've been so easy...to wrap his hand around Noctis' neck just then...squeeze tightly...and no one was around, so they'd never know. He could dart off into the forest...

Shivering, he shut his eyes, trying to will the awful thoughts from his mind. This was Noctis. He loved him. "I'm here..." he repeated, needing to hear the sound of his own voice to believe him.

Grabbing at Prompto's cheeks, Noctis pressed his lips against the fox's, kissing him softly. Prompto froze. Noctis was...promised to someone else...and very soon he would be mated, and yet...he wanted this, he'd missed this.

"Good..." Noctis whispered. "Don't ever leave me again." A chill flew around them, the snow swirling through the sky, and Prompto shivered, nodding his head as he made the promise to never leave Noctis' side again, no matter what.

~~

Lunafreya was slowly growing accustomed to the ways things seemed to work in the palace. The smells had been the most jarring thing at first. But she had, of course, held her tongue.

She was happy, however, to see that Noctis had been slowly warming up to her. He'd seemed quite apprehensive to the idea of mating with her at the beginning. She supposed she couldn't blame him, as she was a rabbit and he, a wolf. The two weren't really supposed to mingle, though her and Noctis had known each other for quite some time.

Ignis, his advisor, had told her about Noctis’ best friend, Prompto, and how he'd disappeared two years ago. Apparently it had changed the Wolf Prince so greatly, and he'd fallen into a despair he hadn't been able to pull himself from.

Ignis had also told her of the mistake which had been made between the two, but told her never to talk about it with Noctis.

Lunafreya was not an unintelligent woman, and she had seen the way Noctis talked about Prompto here and there, and she'd seen the way he looked longingly out into the garden. He loved him. There was no question about it.

She felt a bit guilty, knowing she'd be the one to ultimately replace Prompto in Noctis' life...though most likely she never would in his heart. Still, it wouldn't stop her from trying her best to get Noctis to open up to her. She was to be his mate, and she wished to support him.

It had been going well, until Prompto had magically returned. Gladio had spoken to her about it, and she wasn't upset, though she was concerned for Noctis' well being since the boy had apparently tried to kill Noctis.

They had kept him in a cell, but a few days earlier , he had been let out when Ignis had deemed him stable enough. Lunafreya's nose twitched thinking about it. Noctis had seemed happier at dinner for the past few days, much happier than he had simply talking to her.

Her heart ached for him...not being able to be with the person you loved...she could imagine it would be horribly painful. She cared for Noctis greatly, wanted to see him happy, and it seemed now that Prompto was back, he could be. However, her heat was coming soon, which meant her and Noctis would be mated, replacing Prompto in that spot once and for all...

There was a knock at the door which immediately pulled her from her thoughts. "Yes?" she called out.

"Hey...Luna..." Noctis muttered, opening the door slowly. "I, uh, wanted to talk to you for a minute."

"Of course, Noctis," she smiled, gesturing to the chair in the room.

"I just...wanted to apologize," he bowed, taking his seat in the chair near her bed.

"Whatever for?" she giggled softly. "You haven't done anything wrong, Noctis."

"Well, I guess not...but I haven't been very attentive to you and your needs. I mean, you are my...mate to be."

She could sense the hesitation in his voice as he spoke, and she let out a gentle sigh. "Noctis, I know your best friend came back, and it was quite traumatic. I would never ask you to not spend time with him after he was missing for two years." She wanted to add that she knew Noctis was in love with him as well, but felt it wouldn't be very appropriate to do so, especially when she was the one who would be keeping Noctis from him. "Actually," she added, almost as an afterthought. "I would love to meet him!"

"You...would?" Noctis' face flushed a bright red, and his ears folded back nervously.

Luna let out a soft giggle. "Please, Noctis, I assume I would meet him sooner or later, seeing as he is your best friend and will be staying at the palace with us anyway." Her long ears twitched with excitement.

"Duh..." Noctis mumbled, laughing with her as he rubbed at the back of his neck. "Uh yeah, he was going to head to see Gladio, but I bet we could catch up to him."

"Right," Lunafreya nodded.

The two made their way out of her room and headed for the training grounds, where Lunafreya immediately recognized Prompto from his fox tail and ears. He was tiny, very thin and small, and as expected of a fox, his tail was bushy and his ears were wider and more fuzzy than Noctis'. He was adjusting his training sash, his hands tying it around his waist.

"Prompto!" Noctis called out, waving to the boy.

"Hey! Noct!" he waved, though Lunafreya saw his ear twitch slightly, and he shook out his hands quickly, as though he were pushing away pain.

"I uh, wanted to introduce you to my mate-to-be, Lady Lunafreya, a Rabbit of Tenebrae."

Prompto's bright blue eyes widened and his cheeks flushed. For a flash, Lunafreya saw a hint of sadness flick across his eyes, and she knew Prompto was still very much in love with Noctis too. She had actually noticed the moment his face had lit up upon seeing Noctis.

"O-Oh! L-Lady Lunafreya!" he stammered, and bowed to her. "It's an honor to finally meet you! Y-You're uh, very beautiful!"

"Oh thank you, Prompto!" she giggled and shook her head. "There's no need to be so formal. I know you are Noctis' best friend, and I don't wish for you to treat me any differently than you treat him," she smiled.

"Oh well then," Prompto smiled, completely bashful. He was adorable, Lunafreya could see why Noctis had fallen for such a sweet Omega. "I was, uh, just about to get some training in. Gladio is gonna kick my ass, I'm totally rusty!" he chuckled.

"Why don't you join him, Noctis? I'm sure you could help," she smiled, gently placing her hand on Noctis' shoulder.

"Heh, yeah. I wouldn't mind helping Gladio whip you into shape," he smirked.

"Hey..." Prompto whined, his ears folding down. "See how mean they are to me, Luna?" he chuckled, already acting so familiar with her, and she found herself immediately laughing along with him. It was so easy to like him with his cheer disposition.

"We're not _mean_ ," Noctis teased, patting him on the back.

"Just a little bit, Noct," Prompto said, but he winced when Noctis' hand touched his back. It didn't seem like Noctis had hit very hard, and yet Prompto looked pained once again.

Lunafreya brought her hands behind her back. "I hope you two have fun. I think I'll stay and watch," she smiled. She normally didn't watch them train, but something about the look on Prompto's face had Lunafreya worried.

~~

Training with Prompto had been fun. Actually everything about the last week or so had actually felt fun, and normal, and Noctis had never been happier. He had felt guilty about spending so much time with Prompto instead of Luna, but she hadn't seemed bothered, and she'd spent the last hour cheering for them during training.

He was thankful Prompto and her seemed to get along, despite her being well aware of their past history.

Really Lunafreya was an incredibly good person, and Noctis...well, he hadn't been the best mate-to-be...

Sighing, he rinsed himself off in the shower, and changed back into his normal robes, leaving his training outfit to be washed. Tonight...he had to spend tonight with Luna, maybe after dinner they could take a walk in the snowy gardens. It was so difficult to try and split his time, especially when he was silently terrified Prompto would disappear if he looked away for even a second.

"Why the long sigh?" Prompto asked, smoothing out his new robes. Gods he looked so cute. The white cloth slung over his shoulders, draping over it smoothly, and he had a high-necked dark shirt on underneath, which sat just above his collarbone. His bushy tail swished back and forth.

"I guess I just...feel bad I haven't spent as much time with Luna as I have with you."

"O-Oh!" Prompto's eyes looked sad, and Noctis bit his lip, regretting he'd even said anything. "Well you should hang out with her tonight dude. She's super beautiful. You scored big time."

Noctis rolled his eyes, and took Prompto's hand. "You don't have to lie."

"I'm not! She's legit really beautiful..." he said. "Actually I think maybe we'd get along, seeing as we're two of the only non-wolves here," he chuckled.

That was true. Plus they were both so genuine and nice, it was hard to imagine the two not getting along.

"Yeah she is...but...I know how you feel Prom," Noctis whispered. Half of that statement was really reminding Prompto how _he_ felt.

"It's okay...Noct..." Prompto said softly.

Noctis pulled on his dark robe, adjusting his sash around his waist as the two left the training area, heading back towards Noctis' room. There was a silence between them, but when Noctis looked over, Prompto was gently rubbing at the bronze wristlets.

"Does it hurt?" Noctis asked finally, stopping outside his room.

"Sometimes," Prompto shrugged, trying to play it off like it didn't hurt him frequently, as if Noctis hadn't noticed the way he sometimes shook his hands out, or sometimes squeezed at his wrists just a little too hard.

"C'mere," Noctis said, pulling him inside of his room, as he shut the door behind him. He moved him onto his bed, and Prompto's face paled. The last time they had been here together, things had gone wrong, oh so terribly wrong. But Noctis missed having him here, missed the nights their warm bodies would snuggle together, tucked under the sheets.

He held up Prompto's wrist and slowly began to pull the bronze wristlet forward and off of his hand. "W-What are you doing?" Prompto asked.

"Lemme see," Noctis mumbled, and gently brushed his thumb over Prompto's skin. There were scratches and scars over his marks now, where they had once been black and perfect before, they looked red and raw.

"I...it hurt a lot back there...in Niflheim...sometimes I just...would scratch at them hoping they would rip off..." he mumbled, looking down to the bed.

"Gods..." Noctis whispered, and moved to the other wrist, finding the same thing. Prompto hadn't talked much about what had happened in Niflheim...but Noctis hated what he did know about it. He hated what Ardyn had done...and he knew the man probably was planning more. It made his skin tingle with rage. He wanted to destroy him, destroy whatever control he still had over Prompto.

"I-I...sorry."

Noctis kept his gaze on Prompto's wrists, his thumbs brushing over the scars softly. To do anything more with Prompto than he already had was wrong...so wrong. But he wanted to protect him... _had_ to. In his heart, Prompto was still his Omega.

"Don't apologize," Noctis whispered and cupped his cheeks, pulling their lips together. The best part of kissing Prompto had not changed at all. With the touch of his lips against his best friend's, he practically melted against Noctis. He pushed back, and his body slowly dipped closer, leaning into the kiss.

"N-Noct..." he whispered, and Noctis could barely stand the sweet blush on Prompto's face.

Gripping his shoulders, Noctis pushed him down onto the bed, rolling their hips together as he kissed at his jaw. "Noct...we shouldn't..." Prompto mumbled, but his legs had already spread for him, his hands wrapping around his neck. The Omega was so weak to him, and Noctis could tell just from his reactions, that his words did not match his feelings.

"I know...I know but...I missed you so much, Prom," he whispered, nipping at Prompto's lips again.

Since he'd been out of the cage for a week, the two had stolen a few kisses here and there. The one in the snow had been the first, and Prompto had kissed him goodnight accidentally a few times...but Noctis had always wanted more. He always wanted _all_ of Prompto.

"I...I missed you too, Noct, but," he winced, his bare hands running over Noctis' neck.

"I just want...to kiss you..." Noctis whispered, and pressed lips to Prompto's jaw, moving up to kiss his cheek. He would've kissed every tiny freckle on his face if he could have.

"But you know what will happen-"

"Then let it," Noctis growled. "I want you. Always you, Prom...I just...I won't knot you this time."

A whimper left Prompto's lips, and he rolled his hips up towards his best friend. "I want to. Gods, Noct...I want to so bad..."

Looking down at his best friend, Noctis felt a pang in his chest, the hole widening. If he slept with Prompto...it would be fake, he wouldn't get what he really wanted, and they would never feel the connection they had felt the first time.

Slowly sitting back, he rubbed his eyes. "Sorry...Prom...I just...I didn't..."

The fox pushed himself up slowly, and shook his head. "Noct...it's okay...you don't have to apologize. Admittedly...I...didn't want to say no."

"I know," Noctis chuckled, and flopped back down on the bed. "I wish I could just...be with you..." he whispered.

"Me too," Prompto said, scooting closer, as he peered over at his friend. "I want that more than anything," he whispered. "That day I thought I wanted to run away...I...secretly wanted to run to your window and ask you to come with me."

Noctis' hand came up to his face, gently cupping Prompto's freckled cheek. Staring up at him, Noctis wondered if he was dreaming. "I probably would've."

"I know!" Prompto giggled, leaning into the touch. "I know you would've, and that would've been _bad_ , Wolf Prince," he teased.

Noctis' fingers moved higher, stroking through Prompto's blond wisps, stroking at the fox's ear. "Yeah. I'm selfish and I want you."

"Me too..." Prompto whispered, and leaned down to press their lips together again. Noctis almost hadn't expected him to do so, after saying they shouldn't...however Prompto's kiss was so soft, and the gentle noise he made was desperate. "Noct..." he mumbled.

"Prom..." he muttered, nipping at Prompto's lip.

Prompto swallowed, and for a moment, all Noctis could feel was the fox's hot breath tickling at his lips, his panting weighted. "Do...you really think you could...hold back your knot?"

Snaking his hand into Prompto's hair, he pushed on his head gently, to bring their lips together. He swiped his tongue across his lips, deepening the kiss as their tongues came together heatedly, wrapping their wet muscles around each other. "Yeah..." Noctis whispered. "I promise."

"Yeah...okay..." Prompto said, barely able to finish his thought before his lips were back on Noctis'. This time the fox swung his leg over Noctis' waist, straddling his hips. "Is...is this okay?" he asked, his cheeks heating up.

"Damn...Prompto...yeah...'course it is..." Noctis whispered, his hands trailing up Prompto's thighs.

"Okay..." he whispered, and rolled his hips downwards as he brought their lips together once again. Immediately Noctis brought his hands to Prompto's ass, gently cupping at his bottom over his clothes.

Moans began to leave their lips, and clothes slowly dissipated. Prompto's hands shakily removed Noctis' robes, and Noctis was quick to tear the white robes from Prompto, pulling the back shirt over his head. Prompto looked thinner now, his muscles far less defined than two years ago. Noctis ran his hands up Prompto's stomach, his fingers dancing over the freckles that littered his skin. "Gods I missed you so much," Noctis whispered, his face flushed as Prompto came down to kiss him once more.

Their chests were hot, and Noctis let out a whimper, feeling Prompto's hips roll against his, his arousal so apparent. "I did too," Prompto whispered. "But...I guess you can probably tell that, huh?" he chuckled.

Why the hell was he so damn cute? Noctis thrust his hips up, rocking against Prompto's clothed erection, which elicited the most adorable yelp from his lips. "N-Noct!" he panted.

"Sorry...I just wanted to show you how much I wanted you too," he chuckled, and Prompto leaned their foreheads together.

"I guess I'll let it slide this once," Prompto murmured.

"Why don't you take 'em off?" Noctis hummed. "Feels like you want to."

"Feels like you do too!" Prompto retorted with a snort, and sat back, slowly slipping his pants off. Noctis leaned to the side, reaching for the small tube of lube in the bedside table. He lifted the cap, but Prompto stopped him, grabbing the bottle from him. "I can do it," he smirked, licking his lips.

Noctis sighed, pressing his head against the pillow. "I'll watch then," he smirked, staring up at his best friend.

Prompto was so beautiful to watch like this; his body leaned forward, his hand snaking down to his hole. His slender body was glowing in the lighting of Noctis' room, and when Prompto pressed his first finger inside and tossed head back, Noctis felt his cock jump in his pants.

Prompto began to push his finger deeper, thrusting down onto his own digit as he worked to stretch himself. "I...I got really good at this when I had to deal with my heats...a-alone."

Noctis wanted to assure Prompto he would never have to deal with such a thing alone, but he had no way of knowing...He couldn't make such a promise...but for now...he could enjoy having him.

He pressed a second finger inside, and he began to pant, using his other hand to balance himself as he fucked himself. It only made Noctis want him more, faster. And he could feel his own hips starting to rut against Prompto's thigh, his desire for the Omega growing. "Does it... feel good?" Noctis muttered, his voice crackly and dry as he watched him pump his fingers in and out.

"Yeah...but I know it's better when it's you," he chuckled, moaning as his cock spurt out a bit of precum, bubbling over his tip.

"Shit..." Noctis hissed, gripping at Prompto's bare thigh, his thumbs pressing into him to hold him on place. With more lube, Prompto added a third finger, moaning as sweat glistened on his chest and forehead. Noctis was so desperate to fuck him now...wanted to watch Prompto sit on his cock and ride him completely. "P-Prom...I want you."

"Yeah...Yeah...Yeah..." Prompto repeated over and over as he pumped his fingers into himself faster, his hand trembling.

Noctis began to sit up, rolling his hips forward so he could slip off his pants, leaving them both completely naked. Prompto flicked his tail back and forth quickly as he pulled his fingers out of his ass. "I...I want to-can I?" he asked, squirting more lube onto his hand as he began to stroke Noctis' cock.

Eyes fluttering, Noctis moaned, drool slipping down his chin. "F-Fuck...Prompto...I need you...c'mon..." he groaned, pressing his head against the pillow.

"Okay..." Prompto moaned, and gripped at Noctis' cock while he positioned his hole over his prince. Slowly he began to stretch himself, his hands pressed to Noctis' stomach while he took his cock inside. Watching Prompto fill himself to the hilt of his cock, Noctis had to try not to cum right there.

Trembling, Prompto's mouth hung open, moans slipping through. "S-Shit...Noct...I forgot how good your cock feels...inside..." He wanted Prompto to move, but he could tell the Omega was still adjusting to how it felt to have someone actually inside of him again. Had Prompto really gone two years, dealing with his awful heats alone?

"Yeah," Noctis sighed. "You're so warm...and...ngh..." he grunted, rolling his hips to adjust himself, willing Prompto to move when he was ready.

"Hgn..." Prompto sighed. "G-Gonna...move..." Using his legs, he pushed himself up, and lowered himself down onto Noctis' cock. "Ngh...D-Dammit..." he whimpered, biting down on his lip. "N-Noct..."

"You okay?" Noctis asked, gently stroking up his thighs, one hand coming to gently thumb at the tip of Prompto's cock.

"Y-Yeah...it's just...r-really really _really_ good," he moaned, and began to bounce faster. His knees moved quicker as he thrust himself down onto Noctis' cock, his own cock softly flopping against his own lower belly.

"Gods...Prom..." Noctis moaned, sliding his hands around to grip at Prompto's ass, rocking his hips up towards him. "You look...so....beautiful..."

"N-No way..." he panted, his face turning even redder. "Y-You look amazing Noct...I...I can't believe you like this so much."

"'Course I do...it's you...and you look damn sexy," he said, thrusting his hips up to match Prompto's rushed bouncing. He leaned down and pressed their lips together, slapping his ass down against Noctis' cock.

"Hah...hah...N-Noct..." he panted against his lips, kissing him hard.

"F-Faster Prom...c'mon..." he growled, spreading Prompto's ass cheeks as he thrust his hips as deep into him as he could.

"I'm...I'm going..." Pressing his feet to the bed, he began to slam down, his own cock aching as Noctis wrapped his hand around it, stroking his best friend while he watched him fuck himself on his cock. Prompto looked so beautiful, his tail swaying about, cock leaking all over his hand, his chest glistening with sweat. He was perfect, and Noctis wanted nothing more than to let his cock swell.

He bit his lip, wincing as he held back his knot. Prompto slammed down on his cock hard as he could tell the blond was about to hit his finish. "N-Noct...Noct!" he whimpered, his hips thrusting down and against Noctis' hand, rolling himself forward. "F-Fuck...I'm going to cum..." he whined, his ears folding back against his head.

"Cum Prom...C'mon you can do it..."

"N-Noctis! C-Cumming" he panted, bouncing down so fast, his whole body twitching as he finally released, his cum shooting out and covering Noctis' hand. "Ngh!! Hah...hah...Ngh...Gods...I love you Noct," he sighed so happily, the feeling of relief washing over his face.

Gripping at Prompto's thighs, Noctis thrust his own hips up, making Prompto's body quiver and shake at the overwhelming amounts of pleasure as his own cock throbbed and pulsated, quickly emptying into his ass when he felt Prompto clench.

"Shit," he grunted, thrusting his hips up a final time as he poured his finish into him. "Wow...Prompto..." he said, staring up at his friend. His eyes were glossed over, like he was completely lost in the shivers rolling through his body. "I love you too," he said finally. "It was so hard not to mate you."

Prompto didn't speak, he simply stared up at the ceiling. "Prom?" Noctis asked, suddenly concerned when Prompto didn't move. He hadn't mated him, but maybe something had happened when he was in Niflheim and-

Hands shot down to Noctis' throat, gripping him tightly, Prompto's blue gaze glaring daggers at Noctis. "Pr-Prom... what...are you...?" Noctis grunted, trying to grip at his hands and push him off. There was no way Prompto recognized him anymore, not with the way he stared and growled deep in his throat. "S-Stop!"

"I won't stop until you've breathed your last breath, Prince Noctis!" he hissed, his hands pushing on Noctis' throat. When the prince tried to take a breath, he blinked his eyes, feeling as though he might pass out.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompto and Noctis decide to take action against Ardyn.

Noctis desperately was attempting to pull air into his lungs. The pressure on this throat was burning as he choked, but he grabbed at Prompto's hip and yanked him off of him. Gasping, Noctis shot up as Prompto rolled to the side, groaning.

"P-Prom," Noctis coughed rubbing at his own throat. "You gotta...snap out of it buddy," he grunted. "You gotta remember. Remember how we met? How we've been friends forever?" He gently reached out to touch Prompto’s arm.

Rubbing at his wrists, whimpers slipped from Prompto's lips. "N-Noct..." he whined, backing up on the bed. He curled his knees upwards and in on himself as he buried his face against his legs. "You have to get away fr-from me...I can't control it..." he whispered.

"What do you mean?" Noctis asked quietly, staring at Prompto's naked form in front of him.

"I-I mean I can't stop my mind...it keeps wanting to...to kill you!" he whined. "It hurts so much on my wrists and when I think of you my head starts to throb!" He sniffed, and Noctis hated that Prompto was crying.

Moving towards him, he tilted his chin up and cupped his cheeks. "We'll...figure it out, okay?"

Prompto shook his head, the tears streaming from his eyes more freely. "N-No..." he said. "No you...you should just lock me away again. I don't want to hurt you..."

"You're not going to hurt me. I know you won't..." Noctis said.

"Are you forgetting that just moments ago I tried to choke you out?" Prompto whispered. "A-And the worst part is...it's like I...I can't control my body. I see you and I see myself wrapping my hand around your throat. In my thoughts, I'm screaming at you and telling you to run away, but then...those sounds don't come out of my mouth..."

Though Noctis had always felt particularly protective of Prompto, he currently had never felt this level of rage before. Wrapping his arms around Prompto, he rest his forehead against the fox's. "I need you to tell me everything you remember about Niflheim," Noctis said. "If we can figure out what happened, maybe we can...fix whatever is going on in that head of yours."

Prompto's ears folded down and he moved back, his hands rubbing at his wrists again. "I....I don't remember everything. A lot of things are fuzzy, even memories with you, my _real_ memories aren't perfectly clear all the time."

"That's okay," Noctis mumbled, folding his legs up as he sat across from his best friend. "Just tell me about what you remember."

Tail flicking back and forth nervously, Prompto nodded. "Okay..." he said softly. "The day I left...or was taken...I had jumped out the window thinking I should leave because I thought..." he sighed, and regret hung heavy in the air. "I thought I would be too much of a burden to you...staying here."

"Never," Noctis interrupted. "Don't ever feel that way."

"I-I know..." Prompto mumbled, his ears folding down against his head. "It was really stupid. But the second I jumped out, I knew I had to figure out a way to get back inside. It was freezing," he chuckled softly, "and I knew I was being ridiculous. So I began to walk towards the front of the palace, but I felt like someone was following me. It was so...strange," he admitted, his hands wringing over his wrists.

"I kept walking, but with how heavy the snow was, I got a little lost. Honestly, I thought I might freeze to death, and when I passed out, I thought I heard footsteps behind me. When I woke up I was somewhere else completely.

"Ardyn was there, that man. You know, the one who tried to get me to go with him to Niflheim-"

"I knew it," Noctis mumbled. "I knew that bastard was behind this," he growled. "He came back to the palace. Trying to break off me and Luna's future mating, and when we refused he hinted at having some sort of trump card over me. It was obviously you."

"He did?" Prompto sighed. "I...I still don't know why he hates the wolves so much, but he constantly fed me lies about you. At first, I kept resisting, telling him he was wrong. Even though there were times I felt...out of place as a fox here, almost everyone treated me kindly. So when I....started to disagree there were...consequences," he whispered.

"They started giving me these injections, which made my wrists hurt so horribly. I...I don't really remember most of it, but I remember anytime I thought of you my wrists would burn, and my chest would feel tight. Eventually things got foggier and foggier. I always tried to keep it clear in my mind that I...I loved you, but the pain..." he shook his head. "Not only that but Ardyn was constantly telling me how awful you were, and how the only way to stop all this pain was to kill you. Between the pain, the injections, and Ardyn's words, it became harder and harder to keep anything straight.

"He talked about me being a Perfect Omega too," Prompto whispered, rolling up his wristlet so he could look at the strange double markings. "Said it would be impossible for me to resist because they had completely control over me, always had, and always would."

"What does...that mean?" Noctis asked, peering over to glance at his wrists.

"I don't really know," Prompto muttered. "They didn't explain what it meant, but Noct, I think maybe I've been there before?"

"Really?"

"Yeah, I mean when I was a kid and you found me, I didn't really remember anything then. I feel like...the same thing happened here, but...a little different. I had stronger memories for them to replace so...it didn't work as well," Prompto hypothesized.

"Do you remember anything from before you came here as a kid?" Noctis asked, and Prompto just shook his head.

"No. I don't remember anything really. Gods...my head is just a jumbled mess," he whined, rubbing his hands through his hair.

"Prom..." Noctis said softly, touching at his arm. "It's gonna be okay. We're going to figure this mess out. We're going to get Ardyn. I'll kill him myself," Noctis growled, his tail flicking back and forth angrily.

Prompto snorted. "He's...really strong Noct."

"What? Are you saying I'm not?" Noctis huffed, folding his arms indignantly. "I'm an Alpha wolf!" he said proudly.

Prompto nudged his shoulder, giggling as Noctis posed. "No, no. I bet you could kick his ass! I just...I dunno."

"What?" Noctis prodded.

"I'm just a little nervous."

Taking Prompto's hand, Noctis squeezed it hard, and brought it up to his lips. "Yeah me too, but I want you to be better. I want you to live here worry free."

"Me too," Prompto whispered. "I want to think about loving you and not..." he winced slightly, "feel so much pain."

"I want that too..." Noctis muttered, leaning forward to brush their lips together. "I love you Prom."

"I love you too."

~~

"Absolutely not," Gladio huffed, yanking Prompto's arm towards him. "Prompto and I will go and handle it. He can lead the way, and I'll take out Ardyn. Plus there's no way he can be around you if he tried to choke you out. Again."

Growling, Noctis took Prompto's hand. "He's fine the second I talk to him. I'm not letting you leave without me." Admittedly Noctis was impressed Gladio had even agreed to this plan in the first place. Noctis and Prompto had decided it might be good to take Gladio along for both protection and assistance, and so they'd rallied together to tell him their idea. Sneak into the lab facility and take Ardyn out. Okay, so they hadn't thought it through completely but the base idea was there. Noctis had expected Gladio to outright disagree, but knowing how many problems Ardyn had seemingly caused, the other Alpha was shockingly on board. He hated the guy.

Gladio rubbed his forehead, his tail swinging to and fro. "Noct, if me and Prompto sneak in together, we have a far better chance of going undetected. If you come, it could cause a commotion...plus..." he glanced around. "We're not going to tell your dad about this, and we're _especially_ not going to tell Iggy, so-"

"Not going to tell me what?" Ignis said, as if appearing from thin air.

Groaning, Gladio turned around, and Noctis froze. Ignis really was the last person Noctis had wanted to know about this so-called plan of theirs. But leave it to Ignis to show up at exactly the right moment.

"Uh...." Prompto said, and Noctis shot him a glare. Of the three of them, Prompto was by far the worst at keeping any sort of secret.

"Noctis," Ignis said, his ear twitching. "What's going on?"

"Nothin'," Noctis shrugged. "We were just discussing training tactics."

Ignis raised his eyebrow, turned his gaze towards Gladio, and Noctis immediately knew they were screwed. "Gladiolus," he said, stepping forward to take Gladio's hand. Unfair.

"Yeah, Iggy?" Gladio said, flicking his eyes away from the man.

"Do you really think it smart to _lie_ to your future mate-to-be?" he purred.

"Ignis..." Noctis muttered, rolling his eyes. There was no way Gladio was going to resist Ignis being cute with him.

Gladio sighed. "He's gonna know when me and Prompto are gone, Noct."

"...And me..." he muttered.

"What is going on?" Ignis repeated, stressing his voice as he did.

"Prompto's gonna lead me to Niflheim and we're going to silently take down Ardyn," Gladio explained.

"We're all going," Noctis muttered, folding his arms.

"No, Noctis isn't going," Gladio repeated, and shook his head at the prince.

Ignis' eyes opened slowly as he took in all the information. "Absolutely not. _None_ of you will be going. Only Alphas would want to rush in so quickly without even thinking about the potential repercussions. Where did this preposterous idea even come from?"

Noctis glared at Gladio. "Ignis...we gotta do something," Noctis said. "Prompto...he...he's hurting."

"So he's relapsing I take it. I did fear this would be a problem..."

Prompto stepped forward, gripping at his wrists. "Ardyn wants to destroy the wolves. I don't know why and I don't know how...he really plans to do it, but if we have a chance to stop him now we should take it."

"And if we get rid of him, we can get rid of whatever is controlling Prompto," Noctis finished, wrapping his fingers around Prompto's hand. "I'm going with you Gladio. I won't ever lose Prompto again."

"There's really no arguing with ya'..." Gladio growled, flicking his tail.

"And have you discussed this idea with the king? I can't imagine he is happy about his only son running head first into Niflheim," Ignis scoffed.

"Uh....no....we haven't talked to him, and we weren't going to, so if you could just not say anything, that would be awesome," Noctis grinned.

"Of course you don't want to say anything because the king would never approve," Ignis drawled.

"Yeah, but if we pulled it off, he'd be pretty darn happy," Gladio smirked.

"I honestly cannot believe you allowed them to talk you into this," Ignis said, shaking his head.

"Prompto is practically a spy. He can sneak us in, and we can get in and out. Plus with all the training he'd gotten from them on how to assassinate someone..." he smirked, looking at the blond.

"I-I dunno about that. It just seems to happen on it's own."

"Yeah well maybe when you see that bastard's smug ass grin, somethin' will just snap inside of ya'," Gladio teased.

Laughing, Prompto smirked. "You may just be right, Gladio."

Sighing, Ignis dropped his arms. "Fine. If you're going to this regardless of what I say, then I'm coming to."

"Iggy! No!" Gladio groaned. "This defeats the purpose of it being a small operation if both you and Noctis come!" Rolling his head back, he rubbed the back of his neck.

"If you really think I'm going to let my future mate and our prince run off to Niflheim alone, you are insane, Gladiolus," Ignis scoffed.

"Alright, alright, I get it, none of you want to leave the other behind," Gladio said. "It's just a good thing I've trained all of ya' so I know you can fight good enough to hold your own," he scoffed.

"Four people really isn't that bad!" Prompto said. "We can help each other. Y'know, have each other's back!"

Ignis adjusted his glasses. "Indeed. Prompto, if you can give me as much detail as you can about this lab, we can begin to create a plan of action," he explained.

"Mmm smart," Gladio hummed, nudging his shoulder.

"Well I couldn't very well let the lot of you dash in there without even thinking about some sort of plan," Ignis scoffed. "Seriously, it's good you told me about this, because I am certain this plan would not have gone very smoothly if it had just been the three of you," Ignis said, clicking his tongue.

Wrapping his arm around Ignis, Gladio smirked. "Damn right," he chuckled.

Noctis took Prompto's hand, squeezing it tight, and the blond jumped for a moment, turning to look at his prince. "See, we're gonna figure it out," Noctis whispered. "We're not gonna let you suffer."

Leaning his head against Noctis' shoulder, Prompto nodded. "I know...I know."

~~

Ignis was pacing, which really wasn't all that unusual, but the concern he felt for this convoluted plan was enough to drive him insane. Noctis and Prompto had been ready to leave immediately, but Ignis had begged them to take their time, to wait and think about what exactly they were doing.

"Iggy, come back to bed, you're making me nervous," Gladio mumbled, rolling over in his bed. Leaning his head against his palm, Gladio watched as his mate-to-be strode about the room, tail flicking back and forth rapidly.

"I can't help it. I have too much to think about right now, Gladio."

"See," Gladio mumbled. "This is exactly why I didn't wanna tell ya’ about this plan," he snorted. "I knew it would freak you out. You don't have to go with us."

"Of course I do," he scoffed. "I already told you I refused to let you go alone, and if I stay here and Regis asks me what is going on, you know I will not be able to tell a bold-faced lie straight to the king. No, no, it is best I come with you." If they were gone for more than a day, the king would surely notice that something strange was afoot. Ignis wasn't a terrible liar, but he wasn't particularly fond of doing so.

"I know," Gladio sighed, flopping his head down on the pillow. "But pacing around the room isn't going to help you. It's just going to make you more anxious."

"I'm coming up with possible scenarios in my head. There are many, you know. If we get caught, we need to consider our options of what could happen to us, what could happen to Noctis. I also think me and you need to discuss our plans as well because admittedly if we have to, we must sacrifice ourselves for the prince."

"'Course," Gladio snorted. "That's kinda part of our job."

"I know. But this...also includes tearing Noctis away from Prompto," Ignis said, taking a seat on the edge of Gladio's bed.

"Eh?" Gladio asked, an eyebrow raising skeptically.

Ignis sighed and removed his glasses, rubbing his eyes. "If...we get there...and fail...it could be possible Ardyn is after Prompto, not Noctis. I don't believe this to be true, based on his actions I can only assume Ardyn is trying to get his hands on Noctis for some reason...however...if he captures Prompto and we have the chance to get away, we have to take Noctis with us and get out of there."

"I get it," Gladio snorted. "Protect Noctis at all cost."

"Yes," Ignis whispered, standing back up as he began to pace around the room. "But you know how stubborn Noctis is about Prompto," Ignis continued, tapping his chin. "I fear if it comes to that, Noctis will not want to leave without the fox boy."

"Nah, 'course he won't. He already said he doesn't want to lose Prompto ever again," Gladio muttered, adjusting the sheets around his large frame.

Ignis let out a long drawn out sigh. "Exactly," he said slowly. "Which is why I'm counting on you to back me up if need be," he said. "I don't want to leave Prompto behind, I'm happy he is back, truly I am but-"

Interrupting, Gladio spoke. "Iggy, you know I'm always going to have your back. And I get it, the prince is most important to us. Y'know, I bet if Prompto was here, he'd tell you to do exactly what you're saying we should do."

"Alright," Ignis sighed, rubbing at his forehead.

"Now come to bed," Gladio smirked. "You're making me nervous. It'll help if you relax here with me." Ignis slowly trudged over and sat on the edge of the bed.

"It's helping me release a lot of the nervous energy actually," he mumbled.

Leaning forward, Gladio ran his fingers down Ignis arm. "Oh yeah? I have another way that you can release that energy," he grinned, kissing at Ignis' arm.

"Of course you do," Ignis chuckled, turning his body to press his lips against Gladio's. "I certainly wouldn't mind the release," he said softly.

"Good, cause I wouldn't either," Gladio chuckled. Wrapping his arm around the Beta's neck, he pulled their lips together, dragging him under the sheets. If he was going to risk his life for their dumbass prince, he wanted at least one more night where Ignis was his. 

~~

Noctis had been acting oddly for quite some time now, Lunafreya had noticed. She knew it was partially because Prompto had returned, because whenever they spoke, it always seemed as though his mind was gently trailing elsewhere. However, there was something else. He seemed jumpy, and perhaps a little guilty.

And it wasn't simply Noctis. Prompto had seemed nervous, wringing his hands around his wrists whenever she spoke to him, a nervous habit she'd taken note of, and even Gladio and Ignis seemed to be on edge.

Something was going on in this palace and Lunafreya was determined to get to the bottom of it.

She'd noticed the four boys spending a great deal of time in the training grounds together, and sometimes she would hear Noctis exit his room at night and go somewhere for a few hours at a time it seemed. She had no idea what that was about either, but the curiosity was too much for her.

So she decided.

Noctis' door clicked shut in the room next to her and she waited, her ear twitching as she listened to what direction his feet slowly patted down. She gave it a moment, and slowly opened the door, peering into the hallway. Her ears twitched as she tried to focus on where he was going and she sniffed at the air. The training ground again? Seemed strange for him to go there at night.

Closing her eyes, she rolled her body forward, shifting down into her rabbit form. She was much smaller this way, and focused better. Hopping down the hallway, she heard Noctis' quiet steps and followed behind him closely.

She was surprised, when he came to a clearing with the other three boys, all wearing large coats, bundled up for the cold. Were they...going somewhere?

"Ignis, I promise it'll be fine," Noctis said

"And you're sure..." Ignis whispered, turning towards Prompto.

"It's as much as I can remember," Prompto nodded.

"Will Ardyn be there?" Ignis asked. Ardyn. Ardyn Izunia, the leader of the fox clan? Why were they discussing him?

"If I'm there, he probably will be too," Prompto muttered. "He never wanted to let me out of his sight."

Were they planning on going to Niflheim? Then why were they sneaking out? Did the king know about it? She couldn't imagine he'd approve. Her mother and brother were still in the palace, and she found it difficult to fathom Regis coming up with a plan such as this that would send his only son away.

Glancing between the four boys, she saw Noctis take Prompto's hand and squeeze it tightly. She wondered if they were attempting to remedy the problems Noctis had vaguely mentioned in regards to Prompto. He hadn't said much, thinking he would scare her if he spoke too harshly of it, but apparently Prompto had been relapsing back to his brainwashed state every now and again. Lunafreya had not been surprised. She had seen the looks on Prompto's face, the way he touched gently at his wrists, it had been obvious he wasn't fully better.

"Well I suppose we are ready. It will not take us long to get to Niflheim if we shift. Do you believe you can keep up Prompto?"

"Hey! I may be a fox, but I can run super fast!" he smirked, looking rather pleased with himself.

It seemed they were going to Niflheim under the cover of night, in an attempt to assassinate the leader. If it got out that Prince Noctis of the Wolves of Lucis was the one to do so, it would probably start an all out war between the clans.

Lurching her body back, she shifted into her human form. "Stop!" she gasped, and all four boys jumped, looking back at the blonde woman.

"L-Luna!?" Noctis said, his ears folded down.

"My Lady," Ignis bowed. "What are you...doing here?"

"I...I noticed Noctis has seemed a bit stressed lately, and I wanted to see if he was okay, so I followed him," she said softly. "I apologize if it was rude of me to do, but I listened in on your conversation and I...I can't let you leave!" she proclaimed desperately.

Ignis' face paled and Prompto's ears folded down.

"Luna...we have to," Noctis said, rushing forward to her. "Please don't tell anyone you saw us. _Please_. If...if we pull this off, you would be free to do as you please. We wouldn't have to worry about Niflheim anymore. Ardyn...he's the problem."

"And you don't think other foxes aren't the problem?" she asked, placing her hands on her hips. "There must be some people who appreciate what Ardyn does, correct? If you kill their leader, you'll throw them into disarray and-"

"Maybe they'll finally appoint someone who knows what they're doing. Ardyn has been in charge for years, and he's done nothing but create problems!" Noctis argued.

"Fine...if you're really so convinced that this is what you need to be doing, I'm coming with you," she said.

"Uh-uh. No. Way," Gladio snorted. "I was already pissed when the two of you decided to jump in on this! And I have no idea how this rabbit can fight," he said gesturing to her.

Lunafreya frowned and stepped forward towards Gladio, a scowl across her soft features. "I'll have you know Gladiolus, that my brother and I have trained with the best Tenebrian rabbits, and I am more than prepared for a fight," she hissed. Gladio's eyes widened, clearly not expecting the outburst from the girl.

Instead of conceding however, he frowned back at her, leaning towards her. "That may be, but we're dealing with foxes, they attack rabbits like you, and I'm sure Ardyn would be thrilled to have the princess of Tenebrae in his filthy little paws."

"The same can be said about Noctis," she said, glancing to her betrothed, however the other three men were all just as shocked as Gladio. "This man has been trying to drive my people to the edge of extinction for years, if you really plan on killing him, I want to be there for it. I want a part of it." Her tone was demanding, but she didn't care. If these men were going through with this foolish plan, Lunafreya was not going to be left behind. 

And none of them could blame her. They all had their reasons for wanting to be rid of Ardyn, and Lunafreya was simply concerned about her people. It wasn’t so far fetched that she would wish to go and help when Niflheim had been anything but kind to the rabbits. 

The four boys blinked, staring at the girl, struck by her strong conviction. Then they all collectively sighed, conceding. 

Walking past Gladio, Lunafreya stood at the edge of the training ground. "So, what are you waiting for then?"

"Alright, guess we're going," Noctis chuckled, following after Lunafreya, and though Gladio and Ignis looked as though they wanted to protest more, they followed the others as well.

~~

Prompto wished they could've stayed in human form for the entire journey. Noctis had his hand wrapped around Prompto's, keeping them close together, even in front of Lunafreya. However, she seemed to have no problem with it, as she was very focused on Ignis' plan, and adding additional tweaks to his ideas. She was a very intelligent, beautiful woman, and Prompto was surprised Noctis would choose a simple fox like him over someone as beautiful and as elegant as Lunafreya.

"Nervous?" Noctis had asked before they had shifted down, but Prompto had shook his head. He knew what he was doing, and soon, if everything went according to plan, Ardyn would be dead and he would be free.

But not as free as he wished.

Though his relapses of his mind were getting better, being around Noctis only seemed to make the hole in his heart grow wider and wider. It was painful, almost more painful than the stinging on his wrists. He hated how awful it felt, how much distance and space seemed to rift between them. There was a part of him that wanted to run to Noctis and beg him to bond with him again, beg him to fill him completely, but he knew there was no way for them to do so. Even killing Ardyn, ridding the fox clan of the menace which had started so many of these problems in the first place...it wouldn't stop Noctis from having to mate with Lunafreya.

Still, at least he could be by his side and not worry about accidentally killing his best friend.

"Ready?" Gladio called out, and the five shifted down to their animal forms. Lunafreya was tiny compared to the others, and even Prompto looked small compared to how massive Gladio and Ignis were in wolf form. Noctis was large as well, but still smaller than Gladio. It was no surprise he was the leader of Noctis' Guard.

With a bark, Prompto began to lead the group towards Niflheim. It had been awhile since he'd shifted not on the full moon, and it felt nice to have the cool wind running through his sleek coat. He hadn't realized how much he had missed this feeling.

The group followed behind him, and shockingly, Prompto found he had no problems leading the way. The scent was incredibly clear, and it was as though his instincts knew he had walked down a path like this one many times before. He probably had. He recognized the clearing where he had been reunited with Noctis for the first time, and he smiled at the thought. It had been awful, but he was so grateful Noctis hadn't given up on him.

Not once had the prince forgotten him. Not like Prompto had done to him. He shook his head, following the strong fox scents through the woods. He knew he wasn't allowed to think like that, Noctis would never allow for it, and would've actually been a bit angry had he heard Prompto think something like that.

As if he were a mind reader, Noctis ran up next to him, gently nudging Prompto with his long dark snout, the two running side by side. It was nice, being shifted with him. it was something that had only happened once or twice, and the few times it had, Prompto had been terrified to do it again, mostly because wolves hated foxes, and Noctis often forgot how strong he was in this form.

But now, under the winter sky, the two running side by side, Prompto had never felt happier. He wondered how it would be, if they could shift together, lay in the snow, tails intertwined. It sounded so nice, and if they made it through all this alive, he was going to suggest it before Noctis had to mate with Lunafreya; a night just for themselves.

Pausing at the edge of the woods, he sniffed around in a circle, the large wolves standing behind him. They were nowhere near close to a hunt, which meant many of the foxes most likely wouldn't be anywhere near the woods.

The lab was only a bit further through Niflheim, no where near their main city of Gralea. Actually since it was so close to the Lucian border, Prompto was surprised none of the wolves had stumbled upon it. Though unlike the foxes, most clans stuck to the strict border policy which had been put in place years ago.

Staring at the others, Prompto flicked his head in the direction of the facility, knowing it was just beyond a few of the larger hills. The sun was starting to come up, which meant many of the workers, including Ardyn, would be there very soon. Running off, he heard the patting of paws behind him, and he followed through, climbing up the hill as a large gust of wind and snow blustered around them. He shivered and shook out his fur as he crouched down, the large facility sitting at the corner of the mountain.

Shaking out one more time, Prompto curled his body up and shifted back to his human form while the others did the same. "Here," he said.

Ignis pressed his glasses closer to his face. "Hm. Not as heavily guarded as I expected," Ignis muttered, looking around at the front entrances.

"Yeah," Prompto said. "It's tucked far away..." he mumbled. "So no one really knows about it anyway."

"In our wolf forms, we should be able to get the guards no problem," Gladio smirked.

"Hopefully you can do so without making too much noise!" Ignis hissed, pushing Gladio's shoulder lightly.

"Don't worry, we're not going to let anyone know we're here," Noctis smirked. Prompto wanted to point out that they were giant, dark colored wolves, and against the stark white snow, it would be easy for them to be detected, but Gladio and Noctis had already shifted down, taking off towards the guards.

It was their job to attack, while Ignis, Prompto, and Luna went searching for an easier way to enter, since they most likely wouldn't have access to the front door.

"It seems like there are probably loading docks off to the side over there," Ignis pointed. "Let's head that way."

With a nod the three changed into their animal forms, Lunafreya blending in perfectly with her white fur. As they rushed through the snow, they ran around back, met by more guards. With a soft bark, the three animals crouched low to the ground, jumping up to snap at their necks, yanking their bodies to the ground.

Ignis attacked two guards who stepped out of one of the doors. He scraped at one with his claws and he bit the other on his leg. The fox guards yelped, falling to the ground, but Luna dashed inside, holding the door open with her small rabbit body.

Ignis jerked his head towards Prompto, who immediately ran around front, barking at Noctis and Gladio, who had done a fair share of damage to the few foxes who stood near the main entrance.

The two wolves immediately followed him, taking off running. Back by the door, the three shifted back, joining Lunafreya and Ignis at the opened door.

"The facility isn't very large from what I remember," Prompto whispered. "But I know Ardyn and the other doctors had offices on the second floor," he explained. "I think the cells where they kept me were in the basement?" he mumbled.

"Right," Noctis nodded. "So let's head for the second floor. Lead the way Prompto."

"Stay as quiet as possible," Ignis warned. "If we alert anyone to our presence it could mean disaster."

The group nodded and began to walk as quietly as they could through the hallways, Prompto's ears folded back against his head as the scents began to overwhelm him. It had been awhile since he'd been here, but he remembered how awful everything smelled, how Ardyn would overwhelm his senses with awful smells and thoughts when he thought about Noctis. Noctis. Wasn't he- No...No...Prompto shook his head, ridding his mind of such thoughts. He was here for Noctis, to break himself of this awful spell he'd been put under.

"C'mon," he whispered, waving his hand. "This way," and right as he turned the corner, he bumped into the very person they had been looking for. But this wasn't where he was supposed to be?! He should've been in his office first thing in the morning. Prompto felt panic rising in his chest, and immediately he began to back up, but Ardyn was quick to yank his wrist back, pulling Prompto towards himself. He felt thick, strong fingers wrapped around his wrist, and his feet came off of the ground. "A-Ardyn," he gasped.

Purring, Ardyn glanced down at Prompto, pleased with his newfound discovery. "Welcome home, little fox."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhh I can't believe this fic is almost over!! I've had so much fun writing it and posting it weekly. Also really proud of myself for staying on schedule. The amount of support this fic has gotten has blown my mind like...WOW, and I just have loved slowly becoming a part of this fandom <3 thank you to everyone who reads and comments! it means so much <3 and thank you to Adriana for betaing :D


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Noctis and Prompto finally face off against Ardyn

Noctis' tail flicked back and forth as he paced around the cell. This was a disaster, an utter, complete disaster. Prompto was probably going to get brainwashed _again_ , ripped away from Noctis _again_ , the very thing he didn't want to ever have happen.

Alternatively, they were all going to be killed. Noctis had a hard time imagining Ardyn keeping them alive, especially when it had become so abundantly clear he wanted Noctis out of the picture. Why Ardyn hadn’t killed him yet was beyond him. Once he was gone, the Wolf Clan would have no heir and the Fox Clan could take most of their territory.

Noctis had walked right into a trap.

Pressing his back against the wall, he sunk to the floor. How had he been so stupid? It had been far too easy for them to enter into this facility, and maybe this had been Ardyn's dumb plan all along. He'd said Prompto was going to be a trump card for him, and maybe Prompto's brainwashing had purposefully been easy to break, so eventually he would lead Noctis here, directly where Ardyn wanted him to be.

"I'm such an idiot," Noctis breathed out, wrapping his arms around his legs as he pulled them close to his chest.

When Ardyn had grabbed Prompto, guards had surrounded them, grabbing him, Luna, Ignis and Gladio. While Prompto had been dragged away with Ardyn, the rest of them had been brought down to the basement and put in cells, but as far as Noctis could tell, he was separated from the other three. He had no idea if they had been locked up together, or they all had their separate cells as well, hell, maybe Ardyn had kept Noctis alive as a bargaining tool, but had killed the others. Either way, Noctis could see no solution on how to get out. If Ignis had been with him, perhaps the advisor could've come up with something on the fly, but being alone with his thoughts, Noctis was at a loss.

He couldn't stop focusing on how really all of this was his own fault, and it was possible he had just gotten all of his friends killed.

Prompto's face was burned into Noctis' mind, the look of fear when Ardyn had wrapped his filthy fingers around Prompto's slender wrist. He'd held him up, Prompto wriggling to get free, and instead, he'd once again been dragged away. How many times had Noctis been ripped away from the boy who was most important to him?

"Noctis!" a feminine voice hissed from the shadows, and he leaned forward, pulled from his thoughts. Pressing his hands up against the bars, he tried to search for the source of the sound. It had been awhile since he'd seen a guard walk by, and the voice sounded oddly similar to Lunafreya.

"Luna?" he called out, glancing around.

"Are you down this hall?" she asked, her voice still hushed.

"Uh...I think so?" he said, sticking his fingers through the bars to wave them around. "I'm trying to wave...or something?" he said awkwardly.

"There you are!" Luna said, trotting down the hallway as she stopped in front of the cell, Ignis and Gladio directly behind her. With a smile, her long bunny ears twitched proudly.

"Are you alright, Noct?" Ignis asked, rushing to the door.

"M'fine. How did you find me?" Noctis looked at his friends incredulously. "How did you...get out?"

"Well these cells were clearly made for larger animals," Luna smirked, gesturing to the decent amount of space between the bars. Looking at it, Noctis realized it would be simple for a small bunny to slip through and sneak under the bars of the door. "I stole the main key from the guard and unlocked our cell."

Noctis blinked. Lunafreya had done all that?! How sneaky.

"Admittedly I can't take the credit for finding the key. Sneaking in like that was Ignis' idea," she smirked and nudged at Ignis' side. "As far as finding you goes, there were only three hallways of cells, so we checked all the halls until we found you!"

"And there weren't a lot of guards?"

"The ones we saw we took out no problem," Gladio smirked, his tail flicking back and forth.

"Did you find Prompto?" Noctis asked, as Luna stepped in front of the cage, turning the key to let him out.

"No," Ignis said quickly. "Quite frankly this whole operation has been somewhat of a disaster. Nothing is going as we planned, and it's a miracle we're all still alive. Perhaps it is best to cut our losses and go back. We can always regroup with more reinforcements-"

"No," Noctis snapped, his ears twitching angrily, stepping out from the cage. "I refuse to leave Prompto behind. I'm not losing him again, Ignis."

"I agree, at this point leaving Prompto behind could be deadly for the kid," Gladio murmured.

"We could be risking all of our lives. It's not that I do not care for Prompto, please do not misunderstand me, but Noctis' and Luna's safety is of our utmost importance, and at this point-"

"My safety won't matter if Prompto isn't with us," Noctis growled.

Ignis' ears folded back against his head, and it was clear he was ready to argue, but with Noctis looking as angry as he was, the advisor sighed, caving to his request.

Lunafreya clasped her hands together. "While it may not be the smartest idea, I can't imagine leaving here without our entire party."

"It seems I am overruled then," Ignis sighed, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "Then we have to devise a plan. The security, while not very intelligent or tight, is existent and it would be better for us to shift to animal forms to take them out. Ardyn's office is on the second floor, as we originally presumed, and we'll need to get up there if we plan on getting Prompto back. I can only assume Ardyn is holding him there," Ignis explained.

"Alright, so animal forms, take out the guards, get to Ardyn's office. Got it," Gladio nodded, giving Ignis a slight nudge of his shoulder. It was clear the advisor was feeling a bit nervous about the entire operation.

"We gotta keep Ardyn alive long enough to tell us how to get rid of the control he has over Prompto," Noctis said softly, folding his arms. "I want him to be normal, and in control of himself again. Because even if we kill Ardyn, someone else could come in here and use whatever it is they're using to keep Prompto under their thumb," Noctis explained.

Gladio nodded. "Yeah best to wipe everything out here while we can. I don't wanna deal with any left over bullshit later."

With a click of his tongue, Ignis flicked his tail back and forth. "I don't believe any of us wish to deal with this now or later," he sighed.

"Come Iggy, it'll be fun! It's been awhile since we've had a good fight," Gladio chuckled, rolling his shoulders back.

"I don't know if a 'good fight' is really what I would define as ‘fun’, but yes we shall all do our best," he nodded. Gently placing a hand on Lunafreya's shoulder, Ignis turned towards her. "You've proven yourself to be a very skilled individual, Lunafreya," he said. "However, please stay safe," Ignis nodded.

"I will Ignis, thank you for your concern. I promise I can handle myself," she smiled, stepping forward.

"Alright," Noctis muttered. "I guess we should do it then yeah?"

"Guess so," Gladio chuckled, lurching his body forward as he shifted into his large brown wolf form.

"Stay as close to Gladio as possible," Ignis muttered before following suit.

It didn't matter to Noctis how long it took, they were going to find Prompto, and they were going to bring him home, and hell, Noctis was going to kill Ardyn for doing all of this to them in the first place.

~~

Running up the stairs, Gladio was crouched to the ground, keeping his nose on the floor as he scented for Ardyn. Knowing that bastard of the man, he was probably way ahead of them, and knew they would break out. It was oddly quiet in the facility, with the exception of the sound of clunky machines and strange hissing noises here and there.

They'd taken out a few guards quietly as they'd climbed to the first floor, and Noctis was eager to make it to the second, where hopefully Ardyn would be waiting. He couldn't keep Prompto waiting, not when he'd seen the look of pure fear which had crossed his blue eyes. No, Noctis wanted to find him, and find him quick.

Ignis had circled around one of the main control rooms, searching for stairs upwards, but so far it had been impossible to find. Though it wasn't a very large building, things were placed awkwardly, making the first floor like a strange maze. They'd found a few strange looking experimental rooms with large chairs as though they tied subjects down in there. There was also a large training room it seemed, where there were chairs and different obstacles for trainees to push through.

It was a very odd looking facility and Ignis wondered where the other subjects were, since the place was seemingly empty. Perhaps this was where they had done experimentation on Perfect Omegas and Perfect Alphas in the past, but it was empty since it had been banned. It was the only logical conclusion Ignis could come to.

Of course, it did also seem as though many of the rooms and things they had found had been used more recently, so perhaps there was far more to this facility than met the eye. When they returned, Ignis would be reporting all of his findings to the king, if Regis were willing to hear it and not completely murder them, and this was of course, all based on the assumption they would be getting out alive.

Gladio let out a small huff, finally leading the group to a set of stairs and Noctis immediately began to run up the staircase before Gladio leaped in front of him, leading the way once again. The prince began to growl, his instinct to find Prompto bringing out the worst of his Alpha side. Gladio turned his head, snapping at the smaller wolf, as he continued up the stairs. Luna hopped beside Ignis, keeping her distance from the two Alphas desiring to lead the way.

Noctis had his nose pressed to the ground, his bushy tail wagging through the air as he searched. When his nose caught the scent, he dashed forward, making his way to the door. His paw scratched at the ground, and he shifted back to his human form, shaking out his hair as he did. "In here," he whispered.

Following Noctis' lead, Ignis shifted back too. "We really should stay in our wolf form," he muttered. "We can move about more freely," he explained.

"We can always shift back," Noctis grumbled. "I know Prompto's in here."

"Definitely," Gladio agreed. "Whole room reeks of him."

Pushing the door open, Ignis wasn't surprised when they came face to face with Prompto and Ardyn. Seated at the desk, Ardyn was leaning back, his hands crossed over his lap, a coy smile spread across his thin lips. "Welcome! It took you lot long enough to get here. I made it so simple for you to get out of those cells, and you still took this long. You are all far less competent than I thought!" Ardyn chuckled, standing up as he gently placed a hand on Prompto's shoulder.

"Let him go!" Noctis snapped, clenching his fists, his tail angrily moving, his body itching to rip out the throat of the man in front of him.

"He's not exactly being held captive," Ardyn chuckled, squeezing at his shoulder. "Poor Prompto, abandoned by his friends again."

"That's not what happened! Prom, don't listen to him! He stole you away _again_! I would never abandon you, never!" Noctis yelled.

"Prince Noctis isn't my friend," he mumbled, his face looking down towards the ground.

"Yes, I am! You're my best friend Prompto! I love you, please, you gotta remember this! I don't care how many times I have to tell you."

"Oh you can tell him as many times as you want," Ardyn chuckled, sliding his hand down to Prompto's wrists. He yanked off the bronze wristlets and held up his arm. "But as long as he wears these Beta markings, Prompto belongs to me. The mark is burned into his blood, in his body, and there's no way to be rid of it." 

Ardyn held up a small device. It looked like a tiny controller, a few buttons littered across its surface. "With this device, I have complete control over Prompto." His thumb brushed over one of the buttons. "And if I need him to pretend to be on your side, all I have to do is push this button and he will be free from my brainwashing," he grinned. 

It seemed the research had progressed at an alarming rate, and whatever they had started, they certainly had not stopped when it had been banned. However, as long as they could destroy the machine that was controlling Prompto's marks, they could stop him from being manipulated.

"Of course, if you destroy it, he would be free forever." Ardyn hummed. "Wouldn’t you just love to get your hands on this device? Well, you’re in luck. I’ll leave it right here on this desk for you. Have fun trying to destroy it." The look on Ardyn’s face was positively infuriating, playfully teasing as though he knew they would have no way to destroy the device.

"I know your problem is with me!" Noctis yelled. "So leave Prompto alone, there's no point in involving him!"

Ardyn began to laugh. "I suppose you're right. There is no reason to involve him other than I enjoy watching how much it makes you squirm," he smirked. "Go ahead Prompto, I know you're itching to kill the prince who abandoned you in your time of need," he hissed.

"Kill...Noctis," he hissed, lurching his body forward as he shifted down into his fox form.

"It was good too see you again Prince Noctis, I regret to inform you that this will be our last interaction," Ardyn grinned. He placed the device down on the desk, attaching it to an odd looking stand. As he stepped back, he lifted up the large door behind his chair, revealing a large group of fox guards. "Enjoy!" he laughed, and walked past the guards.

"ARDYN!" Noctis yelled, but kept his gaze focused on Prompto's fox form dashing towards him.

"Noct! Shift now!" Ignis yelled, as the others shifted their bodies down, moving towards the fox guards closing in on Noctis.

"Someone get the device Ardyn had on his desk!" Noctis yelled. "It'll stop Prompto!"

"I'm on it!" Luna yelled, changing her lithe form into her tiny, white bunny shape.

The prince moved his body forward, shifting down into his large black wolf form. He didn't wish to fight with Prompto, and he knew he was stronger than him from past experiences. He shook his head, knocking Prompto back gently with his paw, but the small fox leaped forward, latching onto Noctis' neck. With a yelp, he stumbled backwards, smacking Prompto to the floor harder.

With a howl, Gladio and Ignis charged forward, snapping the necks of the various foxes. The guards weren't particularly big, but they weren't as small as Prompto, most of them were probably Alphas, or that was what Gladio had gathered from how they smelled. He knocked guards to the side, slowly moving towards Noct in a poor attempt to keep them away from the prince as he fought with Prompto.

Luna had shifted and immediately hopped towards the desk. She didn't wish to move towards the foxes, and she purposefully darted about, trying to avoid some of the guards that had seen her. Using her long back legs, she kicked at a few of their snouts, leaving them dazed while she made a quick getaway. She wasn't strong like Gladio, Ignis or Noctis, but she was fast, and as long as she could get to the desk, she assumed she would be able to jump high enough to get to the controller, stopping Prompto from fighting Noctis.

She glanced behind her, noting the two were engaged in battle. Noctis continued to stand mostly still, knocking Prompto back when he could, though she noticed Noctis had flipped him, pinning the small fox to the ground. Prompto was struggling, his body wiggling back and forth under the force of Noctis' paw. She had to keep moving.

Darting left and right, she narrowly avoided more of their jaws, kicking at faces. One snapped at her ear, and she let out a soft cry, pausing at she felt the teeth break through her skin. She shook her head, her ears pressing backwards as she continued to move forward, not letting the small injury stop her, even if she felt blood begin to trickle down her ear.

Gladio and Ignis were not far behind her, their snarls and growls loud in her long ears. She could hear the foxes bark and yelp, fur flying behind her as their bodies rolled to the side.

She finally reached the desk, and leaped onto the chair, kicking off it to reach the top. Peering over the edge, she saw the huge wolves easily tossing the foxes to the side. No wonder Niflheim was always so threatened by Lucis, there was no way they would win in a fight of pure strength.

Luna's eyes darted about, looking for the small machine. It probably would've been easier had she shifted into her human form, but she didn't want to call attention to herself. Her eyes landed on the strange looking machine held in the stand on the desk. All she had to do was destroy it, and hopefully Prompto would be free. She'd never seen a device like it. It had strange ear looking things and multiple knobs...Tenebrae and Lucis were far more traditional societies, not using much technology at all. Niflheim had been the only country to truly embrace any sort technological advances.

She wondered what would happen if she just...kicked it off the table. Seemed too simple but maybe...

Laying on her back, she kicked her back legs against the device, however it didn’t budge, trapped against the stand. She pushed back and rammed her body into it, squeaking when it didn’t move. Shaking her head, a large breath of air huffed through her twitching nose. She couldn’t let this go, they _had_ to destroy this device if they wanted Prompto to return to normal. 

Her ear twitched as she stared at the stand. It probably would’ve been more plausible to take the device out if she was in her human form. Her mind thought back to Ardyn, holding up the controller, his finger brushing over the button. He had mentioned he could turn it off, so maybe if she turned it off for now, they could finish the guards off and find a way to destroy the device after. 

But which button was it? There were two larger ones in the center and a smaller black button of to the side. Closing her eyes, she saw the Ardyn had brushed his thumb over the remote. It had to be the smaller button, his hand hadn’t gone anywhere near the bigger button. Leaping up, she hopped onto the black button. 

From behind, there was a yelp, and Luna’s gaze fell upon Noctis and Prompto. She saw Prompto wiggling around in his fox form, backing away from Noctis, and he ran in a circle before pressing himself close to the ground. The wolf approached slowly, and nuzzled his face against the fox, who quickly nuzzled back.

Gladio and Ignis were tossing a few of the leftover fox guards to the side, making certain they didn't get back up, as they shifted back, both looking a bit disheveled.

Prompto shifted back to his human form, his body lurching and panting as he shook his head. His arms trembled, his hands curling into fists.

"Prom!" Noctis yelled, once he had changed back to his human form. He wrapped his arms around the blond. "You're okay," he sighed.

"N-Noct..." he trembled, wrapping his arms around him. "I'm so sorry. I don't-"

"Stop, you don't gotta apologize," Noctis whispered.

"We need to destroy this," Luna called out, tugging on the device in the stand at the desk. 

"But how did you…break from it?" Noctis asked, looking at Prompto who shrugged in confusion. 

"I disabled the brainwashing," Luna explained. "But I can’t get the device off this stand."

Frowning, Gladio took a step forward. "Let me handle it." Luna moved to the side, allowing Gladio to take her place in front of the odd device. His large hand wrapped around it, and yanked at it. Still, the device didn’t budge. 

Prompto’s ears folded back against his head. "Maybe he left it here to tease us. He knew we wouldn’t be able to do it."

"I’m not gonna let some stupid controller get the best of me," Gladio hissed. 

"Gladio-" Ignis began, but Gladio had already shifted down into his wolf form. He placed his paws on the desk and pushed his head forward, knocking at the stand. It shifted ever so slightly, and Gladio growled, his teeth bared angrily. His tail flicked back and forth until finally he lurched forward again, but this time he bit down, his jaw yanking the controller from the stand. 

He bit down, the device crackling in his mouth. Dropping it to the floor he stomped on it with his paw over and over, watching as the controller sizzled and quickly split in two. 

Gladio shifted, back and held up the broken pieces of the device. "I wasn’t going to let that fox asshole get the better of me. He probably figured we’d give up," he snorted. "It’s just a stupid machine and they aren’t indestructible." He threw the device back to the ground.

"Prompto, this must mean you’re free!" Lunafreya said happily.

Prompto blinked. "R-Really?"

Noctis nodded eagerly. "From now on, you're gonna be fine. No more pain here," he said, gently stroking his thumbs over his wrists.

Prompto wrapped his arms around Noctis tightly, holding him so close. "Thank you...now I-I don't have to worry about hurting you!" he sniffed.

"Nope! Never again!" he chuckled softly, rubbing at his back.

"Noct...I hate to break up your reunion, but Ardyn is still in this facility...and as much as I am tempted to tell you to take your losses and leave, I don't want a repeat of this later. It is best to deal with him now," Ignis interjected.

"Damn straight," Gladio snorted. "We're not leaving here without kicking his ass."

"It would seem rather useless to leave now," Luna chuckled.

With a smirk, Noctis stood up, offering his hand to Prompto. "Ready to go? I'm not going to let him get away with what he did to you."

"Let's do it," Prompto grinned, squeezing Noctis' hand tight. They were going to take down Ardyn, and nothing was going to stop them.

~~

Making their way through the facility, Noctis wrapped his hand around Prompto's. "Glad you're okay," he mumbled, squeezing it tightly.

"Me too," Prompto said. "When he grabbed me and I saw you guys get dragged away...I didn't know what to do. I figured for sure Ardyn was going to kill you..."

"I think we were worth more to him alive," Noctis sighed.

"Little does he know we're coming to kick his ass!" Prompto cheered, his tail waving from side to side excitedly.

"Or he does know and he's been predicting every move we’re making" Ignis commented. "It seems Ardyn has known everything we're doing, every step of the way."

The group let out a collective sigh. Ignis wasn't wrong, Ardyn had known everything they had planned, and Noctis wouldn’t have been surprised if he had planned for this as well.

"Well you haven't been very discreet about any of your plans!" Ardyn's laughter echoed throughout the main hall, as the group walked down the steps. "And really it's all been quite predictable. Here I thought we'd have more fun," he sighed dramatically.

Keeping Prompto close to him, Noctis walked down the stairs one step at a time, his gaze flicking about the room.

"I knew I'd have to take care of your little group myself eventually, but it was fun to wear you down. Bravo though, I didn't think you would break the device used to control your little friend. I put it there to tease you," he chuckled, standing in the middle of the room. His red ears flicked back and forth, his tail swishing from side to side, and Noctis could tell he was preparing to fight them. "I should’ve expected a wolf would be so primitive as to just bite the thing." He sighed, but he didn’t seem all that bothered by the loss of the device.

"I told you I wouldn't let you keep Prompto," Noctis growled, stepping in front of the blond.

"I know, I really am impressed." The man laughed again, and Noctis hated the way his smooth tone echoed through the hall. "It seems my little experiment with him failed. Not that it matters much anymore. This will be the end of the line for all of you."

"What are you talking about?" Prompto snapped.

Ardyn began to pace back and forth, his large boots echoing against the metal floor. "Let me tell you a little story. I've known you since you were just a baby, little fox. Your father was one of the scientists here, working on ways to make a person all three classes. Imagine it, a person who could switch between being an Alpha, a Beta or an Omega. It would be very impressive.

"He'd wanted it to be you. The first one to be able to handle being all three classes. His own son. He was so proud. Getting Beta marks into you was absolutely no problem, but the Alpha marks were impossible. Your father tried everything, and in the end you lost your memory and ran away. I had never been more _excited_. We let you fall right into Prince Noctis' lap. I never cared much about your father's research, but once I knew his son was with the wolves, I was thrilled." Ardyn chuckled, tapping his hands together.

Prompto's ears folded back. He'd always known something had been strange about the way he'd found Noctis...how no one from Niflheim had ever looked for him, how he could never seem to remember anything before the day he played with Noctis in the snow.

"When I came to retrieve you, I realized how _close_ you and the prince were, and it was perfect. And really if you weren't _so_ close, my plan would've been flawless. However Noctis it seems, is always able to break you of the brain altering we did. Really the device you broke is useless to me. You, Prompto, are utterly useless to me. It would've been so fun had you destroyed the prince like you were supposed to. Prince Noctis, killed by his true love, his soulmate. How tragic," Ardyn teased.

"Shut up," Noctis hissed, getting tired of listening to Ardyn's voice. He held Prompto's hand, their fingers intertwined, squeezing tightly.

"Now it seems I'll have to do it myself."

"You realize if you kill the prince of Lucis, it will start a war between the clans. So many of your clan could die," Ignis hissed, clearly trying to see the logic.

"And what makes you think I care about that? The wolves have been on their high and mighty throne for decades, thinking they are the strongest of the clans! And yet we sit here, more intelligent, more cunning than all of you. You're so stuck in your traditional ways, and you've hogged all the hunting territory for so long. If you think I'm concerned about a war, you are severely mistaken."

Luna stepped forward, clenching her fists. "But there are so many things we could do, we could sign treaties and...and discuss different ways to divide the lands. With Noctis and I forming a union-"

"Oh you naive girl. Do you really think Lucis and Tenebrae forming a union would be a good thing? Of course not! And the wolves forming a union with the rabbits is just another way for the wolves to control more territory," Ardyn growled. "The wolves are greedy. They'd have you believe _we_ are the greedy ones, but the truth is, it is them. Which is why, I have absolutely no problem trying to destroy the prince of Lucis and his retainers. And now, I do get a little bonus of killing the princess of Tenebrae too," he smirked. "I never thought I’d be so lucky to have you both here at once!"

Snapping his fingers, more fox guards appeared, surrounding all of them. Prompto squeezed Noctis' hand. "Guess I can finally show you what I've learned after training all those years with Gladio," he smirked.

"Yeah, took you long enough," Noctis said, reluctantly letting go of Prompto's hand. Lurching forward, the two of them fell into their animal forms, growling as Ardyn did the same. Behind him, Noctis could hear the growls of Gladio and Ignis, equally as ready to fight.

Noctis wasted no time, dashing towards the large red fox. Ardyn was surprisingly large for a fox, especially one who didn't smell much like an Alpha. Noctis had gone off of the assumption he was a Beta, a little odd for a clan leader, but seeing his size, Noctis wondered if Ardyn just had a way to mask his scent.

Noctis in his wolf form was a formidable size compared to him however, and when he met with him in the middle, the two tackled each other to the ground. Prompto had run with him, leaping onto the back of Ardyn and biting down hard on his neck. Bucking his back, Ardyn flung Prompto to the side, the smaller fox rolling away with a tiny yelp.

Growling, Noctis swiped his paw towards Ardyn's face, hitting him in the snout before leaping forward to tackle him to the ground once more. He bit at his throat, the large fox scratching at Noctis' cheek with his claws. He yelped, stepping back as he took a moment to glance around the room.

Behind him, Ignis and Gladio were engaged with the various guards. Ignis was pinned to the ground by two larger foxes, and Gladio slammed his body into them, tossing them to the side.

Luna, while small, had been able to hold her own so far too, which Noctis admittedly had been worried about. She was a strong rabbit, but the foxes were so much bigger than her. However, she'd been using it to her advantage, dodging between their bodies, confusing them as she kicked them in their faces. He'd even seen her kick the underside of their stomach, making some foxes fall over.

Prompto slowly pushed himself up, shaking it off as he charged back towards Ardyn, jumping on his back to bite down on his fur. This time however, Ardyn rolled to the side, pinning Prompto to the floor. The smaller fox squirmed, attempting to clasp his jaws around Ardyn's paw or side, but the larger fox growled, baring his teeth. He lunged down, and bit sharply into Prompto's shoulder, the fox yelping as he attempted to push away.

The hair on Noctis' back raised. So many times had Ardyn tried to hurt Prompto, there was so much Noctis didn't even know about during Prompto's time here at the facility, so much Prompto couldn't remember. Noctis couldn't stand it. Ardyn had stolen Prompto from him for two years, given him back broken and completely destroyed him. Noctis was done. Ardyn could do whatever he wanted to him, his clan...if he hated wolves, so be it. But Noctis wasn't going to allow him to take it out on Prompto any longer.

He took off in a run, his legs carrying him forward as he slammed into Ardyn, pushing him off of Prompto. He bared his teeth, leaping forward to attack the back of Ardyn's neck, burying his teeth deep into his skin.

Ardyn yelped, but Noctis pinned him to the ground. He wasn't going to let this man hurt anyone he cared about anymore. He yanked his teeth to the side, blood streaming down Ardyn's neck and body. Pulling back, Noctis pressed his paw against the wound, the fox wiggling in a poor attempt to get away.

With another growl, Noctis swiped his paw against his chest, and Ardyn stopped struggling, his body shifting back to its human form, unable to hold his animal one any longer. Noctis shifted back, panting as he wiped at the blood trickling down his cheek from the scratches.

Reaching down, he grabbed Ardyn's coat, and lifted his bloody body. "I will never allow you to come near anyone I love again," he hissed.

"You're not going to kill me?" he whispered, coughing as blood spattered from his mouth.

"’Course I am," Noctis said, letting him drop to the ground. He shifted back to his wolf form and bit at his throat, clamping down with his jaw. Ardyn choked, blood sputtering from his lips as his head rolled to the side, his breath leaving his body.

Stepping back, Noctis panted, watching Ardyn’s immobile body, blood spreading out by his neck. He was gone, and they wouldn’t have to worry now. He rolled his spine up, changing back to his human form, and glanced around the room, noticing Prompto laying on the ground off to the side.

Rushing to Prompto, Noctis noticed the gash on his shoulder was deep, blood seeping through his bright robes. "Prom! Prompto! Are you okay?"

"N-Noct...Yeah..." Prompto hissed, pushing himself up with his uninjured arm. Noctis immediately pressed his hand against his back, helping him sit up.

"Prompto!" Luna said, rushing to his side. "We need to bandage this up immediately." Ripping off part of the bottom of her long white robe, she began to gently dab at the wound, wrapping the cloth around his arm. "It's not much, but it should assist with the bleeding for now," she explained.

Ignis and Gladio were slowly walking to the middle of the room, Ignis limping quite a bit as he leaned against Gladio. Gladio looked mostly unscathed, to no one's surprise, and though Ignis' leg seemed to be hurting him, he didn't look terrible.

"Did ya' kill him?" Gladio asked, watching as Luna continued to wrap up Prompto's arm.

"Basically," Noctis muttered.

"You want me to be sure?" Gladio snorted, but they all glanced towards the pool of blood gathered around Ardyn's body. The wound on his neck Noctis had left had been deep, and without immediate attention, there was no way the Fox Clan leader would survive.

"I don't think there's any need," Ignis muttered, turning away from the body. "Is Prompto okay?"

"Should be!" he laughed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Luna's helping me," he chuckled.

"We should hurry back as soon as we can. Once they know we've murdered their clan leader there could be repercussions."

"Did he have any next of kin?" Gladio asked, looking to the group.

Luna shook her head. "Not to my knowledge. It seems to me the Fox clan will be in a disarray for quite some time over this," she said, glancing towards Noctis.

"Mmm...well I'd rather that then deal with a war. We could help them...work together..." Noctis mumbled. With Ardyn gone would it finally all be over? Someone would have to take his place, and Noctis could only hope they wouldn’t have a deep rooted hatred of the other clans. 

"Noct?" Prompto asked, clear he'd noticed the way the prince had blanked out.

"It's over Prom," he said, taking his hand and leaning his head against his good shoulder. "I think it might actually be over."

"Me too, bud," Prompto said softly, leaning his head down against Noctis'.

"Yes," Ignis sighed. "We can all go home now, and hopefully things will finally return to normal. We'll have to walk back though, I don't believe Prompto could shift now, and with my leg like this, I wouldn't be able to run fast in my wolf form," he admitted.

"That's alright," Noctis said. They had all the time in the world now. He glanced towards Luna, and for a moment his heart sank. When they returned home, he'd still have to mate Luna and be with her. Luna was beautiful, and he appreciated her- everything she'd done with them today had been incredible, but he still didn't feel the same for her as he did for Prompto.

Standing up, Luna and Noctis both helped Prompto stand, and Noctis took his hand, wrapping his arm around him so he could walk with more ease. "Thanks guys."

"Don't worry," Noctis chuckled. "I got you."

As the group made their way outside of the facility, Prompto shivered against Noctis. They'd all forgotten how cold it was with the snow on the ground.

"We'll have to report to the king everything that happened. Be prepared, he's probably not going to be happy we did this. And I can't imagine he'll be happy we've killed the leader of the Fox Clan," Ignis lamented as he took the first few steps across the snow.

With a smile, Lunafreya followed, wrapping her jacket tightly around her thin body. "I don't know if we'll need to worry about all that."

Noctis' ears twitched against his head. "What? We won't have to talk to my dad?"

"No, no we will," she said slowly. "But I have an idea that I think will make him more understanding," she smiled.

"Oh?" Ignis asked, clearly prodding for more information.

"Yes. I think it will be best discussed there," she said, nodding her head. As they all walked back, everyone silently wondered what Lunafreya could possibly mean.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ayyyyy it finally happened. I feel like a lot of you have been waiting for this!! LOL I hope it wasn't too bad, I always write these fics with these action sequences and then these long ass scenes happen and I always feel like maybe it's anti-climatic?! LOL WELL I had fun and I hope you guys all liked this. There's one more chapter left with the conclusion of everything, gotta wrap up loose ends! Thank you to EVERYONE who is reading this fic and has stuck with me, I can't believe it's almost done! Thank you to Adriana for betaing! See you next Saturday for the last time!


	14. Chapter 14

Walking back to the palace wasn't any simple task. Gladio had helped Ignis walk for most of the way, but when Prompto fell to his knees, panting heavily from the amount of blood he had lost, Gladio opted to carry the fox on his back. Ignis leaned on Noctis instead, the two walking much slower than before.

It took them over a day to get back, and when the palace was in sight, it took all of Noctis' will power not to run back inside. He wanted to be in the warmth of his own room, snuggled by Prompto if he could. Though he knew that was a distant dream, something he would only be able to enjoy when no one was watching.

They all had been quiet during the walk home, most of them happy to just be alive after the entire ordeal, but Noctis had felt a level of relief he hadn't in quite a long time. Even if he and Prompto were unable to be together, he was happy to know Prompto was free to do as he pleased.

Luna also had been quiet, though she and Noctis had exchanged a few words when he thanked her. He wanted to ask what exactly her plan was, but from the way she had spoken before, Noctis knew there was absolutely no point. She would wait.

"Thank the gods we made it," Ignis sighed, as they trudged slowly through the snow coating the steps of the palace.

"Yeah finally," Gladio grumbled, holding onto a sleeping Prompto. "We need to get you two to the infirmary."

"It's really not that bad, Gladio," Ignis argued immediately. "Besides we must speak to the king right away."

Noctis swallowed, glancing at Prompto's sleeping form. Would his father be okay with Prompto being back? What would he say when he found out they had murdered the leader of the Fox Clan, leaving one of the main clans leaderless, possibly throwing the world into disarray? Noctis decided not to think about this. It was much easier to focus on what was directly happening.

"Iggy, you really should get your leg looked at first. We can handle my dad," Noctis urged.

"Listen to your prince" Gladio grunted, hoisting Prompto up against his back again. "You're injured, you can take a break," he sighed, shaking his head.

Ignis, however, did not listen, and he currently stood with Gladio, Lunafreya and Noctis in the main throne room. After dropping Prompto off to the infirmary, they had been immediately summoned, the king obviously frustrated by their disappearance.

"And where might I ask were you four?" Regis' voice boomed as he pushed himself off of the throne to step down towards his son and the others.

"We can explain, sire," Ignis began, limping forward, ready to recount the whole tale.

"No," Regis shook his head, holding up his hand. "I wish for my son to be the one to tell me what happened."

Of course his father wouldn't let Ignis tell this. From the look on Regis' face, Noctis had a feeling he was going to take all the blame for this little excursion. Sucking in a large breath of air, Noctis took a step forward. "We...killed the leader of the Fox Clan," he said, watching as the others lowered their heads.

"You did... _what_?" Regis interjected immediately, glaring at his son. "You _killed_ Ardyn Izunia?"

Noctis bit down on his lip. It probably hadn't been the smartest of plans, but he couldn't bear to watch Prompto suffer any longer.

Noctis stood his ground, clenching his fists. "Yes."

Regis rubbed his forehead, looking tired. "And what, pray tell, convinced you to do such a horribly reckless thing?!" Regis was silent afterwards, clearly waiting for an answer.

Noctis glanced between the others, all hanging their heads in front of the angry king. He took a deep breath, knowing his father was not going to be pleased with the answer Noctis had for him. "For Prompto," he said finally. "I wasn't going to let him suffer anymore."

"Oh Noctis..." Regis sighed, his eyes closing, and Noctis could tell his father was processing the information. The prince braced himself for an impending lecture. "You realize that if it is discovered that one of _us_ killed him, it could lead to war and additional tensions between our clans. Ardyn Izunia doesn't have next of kin, so they will have to choose a new leader. _Gods_ what were you thinking? Ignis, Gladiolus, I cannot believe you allowed this! _And_ you took Lunafreya, which is incredibly irresponsible-"

"If I may interject?" Lunafreya began, stepping forward towards the king.

Regis paused, looking at the girl. "My dear, I don't believe you understand how dangerous of a situation you put yourself in. If it is discovered-"

"Please, sire," she bowed her head, cutting Regis off once again. "I don't mean to be rude, and I know you are not happy with our actions, however, I think this could be very beneficial, if we respond correctly. It is why I chose to go with them." Her light blue eyes flicked towards Noctis, giving him a small smile.

"Alright," Regis huffed, pulling in a long breath. "I'll allow you to speak on this subject."

"I know you are upset about the possible repercussions of killing Ardyn Izunia, however I believe this could be a good moment for both our clans. With no leader, and Izunia having no next of kin, they will have to bring someone new to power, whether it be a council decision or an election, I do not know, however the solution to your problem is actually quite clear to me," she said pacing about the floor.

The four men looked at the rabbit as she spoke, perplexed by where she was going with her long statement.

"If you do not wish for there to be tensions between the foxes and the wolves any longer, what better way to do so then to have Noctis mate with a fox? With a new leader, perhaps they will be more open as well, and if Noctis takes a fox as his mate, the leaderless clan will see that you do not harbor any ill will towards their clan. Therefore, you could open conversation for negotiations with a new leader, and said fox could be a liaison between the two clans."

Noctis' eyes widened as Luna spoke, knowing exactly what she was suggesting. If he and Prompto were together, Prompto could travel between the two territories, keeping the peace. If Noctis was open to mating with a fox, obviously Niflheim would realize Lucis was open to the idea of foxes in general, and with a possible new leader they could renegotiate their treaties.

But this also meant...

"But Lunafreya," Ignis began, "you are currently promised to Noctis."

"Yes but we have not mated yet, and there's a perfectly capable fox who I believe has very strong feelings for your prince." Her lips pulled into a knowing smile. "Besides our territories have always been friends, a union between Lucis and Niflheim would be beneficial to us too. Perhaps even more so as it could keep Niflheim in check.

"Yes but this is all riding on the thought that the new leader will be open to this idea," Ignis muttered, glancing at the silent king. Ignis could see the wheels in Regis' head turning, as he tried to weigh the pros and cons of what Luna had said.

"Of course, if you do it soon, before they even have a new leader, it would set the precedent-"

"Enough," Regis stated, cutting her off.

Noctis was holding his breath; was this what Luna had had planned all along? A way for him and Prompto to be together? Of all the people to suggest such a thing, and yet Noctis was beyond thankful. Though he stared at his father expecting him to immediately reject such an outlandish idea.

"Father-"

"Noctis, hush," Regis said, holding his hand up. "My Lady," Regis began. "You do realize what you are suggesting, correct? You are suggesting we give up the union between Lucis and Tenebrae, and instead I allow my son to be with Prompto in an attempt to show we are amicable towards the foxes and wish to work with their future leader."

"Yes," Lunafreya nodded, her injured ear twitching. "The threat to my people was Ardyn Izunia. He is gone now, and once they appoint a new leader we can work towards negotiating with them. Tenebrae and Lucis will always be allies, and if Lucis makes the first move with Niflheim, it is possible all of us can unite our territories."

"What you are saying...is not a horrible plan," Regis began. "It does hold some benefits for both our nations, and being able to lower tensions with Niflheim would be...a very positive step in the right direction. However, as Ignis mentioned this does ride on the hope that their new leader would be open to a re-negotiated treaty."

Lunafreya hummed, nodding her head. "Right now, with the tensions high and no leader, if Noctis and I were to mate, it would almost seem as if Tenebrae and Lucis are teaming up against Niflheim, if they figure out who killed Ardyn Izunia, they may look at our union as an attack. However, if Noctis were to mate with Prompto it could very well look like a peace offering," she continued.

Sweat rolled down Noctis' palms. Would it truly be possible? For him to mate with Prompto for real, for no one to tear them apart? It would seem an impossible dream coming true...There was no way his father would say yes to this. He'd always been against Prompto, especially after the incident the first time they had mated.

"And..." Regis began glancing to his son. "You would be alright with breaking the union we have planned currently?"

Lunafreya nodded. "Yes. If it would bring peace to all our nations, it is completely worth it to me. And," she smiled glancing at Noctis. "I don't know if you realize how in love with Prompto your son is."

Regis shook his head with a gentle smirk. "I believe I am starting to get a good idea."

"It's...a beautiful thing, finding a person you can love so much," she said softly. "I don't wish to be the one to take that away from him, especially when there is a perfectly _good_ argument for them to be together. And as an Omega, Prompto would be able to provide Noctis with an heir just as well as I could."

"I'm...not opposed to the idea. I do agree with you, it could be a positive way to prove Lucians do not hate foxes and wish to be more open to a mutually beneficial treaty. With a new leader this could be possible. Noctis," Regis said, turning to his son as Noctis snapped to attention. Admittedly, his thoughts had wandered off slightly, at the thought of being able to be with Prompto. "Is this what you desire to do?" he asked, smirking at Luna.

Glancing towards Lunafreya, Noctis' ears folded down. Luna had really given up their union, just so he could be with Prompto? Noctis wasn't sure how he could ever repay her the favor. "Yes," he said.

With a sigh, Regis turned his back to them and made his way up the stairs, taking a seat on his throne. "Well, I suppose it is decided then. Noctis and Lunafreya will not be mates, but we will be keeping all treaties with Tenebrae in place. Instead, Noctis will mate with the fox, Prompto in hopes that we can conjoin our three nations and bring forth peace."

Noctis' face lit up as his father spoke, a smile pulling across his lips. He and Prompto were going to be mates, they were going to bond and no one was going to force him to break it. They could be together for as long as they wanted each other.

"Perfect," Lunafreya smiled. "I will discuss with my mother and brother, and we will soon be on our way back home. I am certain they will understand my choice," she bowed to them.

"Noctis, we will discuss things in private later, as well as with Prompto when his shoulder is healed. The rest of you need to get rest, and even though we have found a positive solution, I believe punishments are in order for all of you as this was incredibly reckless," Regis finished. "You are all dismissed. Ignis, go to the infirmary to get your leg looked at please," he ordered, waving the group off.

"Yeah, c'mon Iggy," Gladio said, scooping the advisor up as he carried him out of the room. "We're going to the infirmary."

"Put me down, Gladiolus! I can walk just fine," Ignis argued, but Gladio didn't listen as he pushed the door open with his shoulder, walking down the hall.

"Luna," Noctis called out, grabbing her wrist before she could walk any further away from the throne room. "I...I don't..."

"Noctis," she said gently, placing her hand over his, intertwining their fingers. "All I ask, is that you be a good Alpha to Prompto. Treat him with kindness and respect, and work towards peace between all of our nations. Together, and with me even if I am in Tenebrae," she finished.

"Of course I will," he said. "We'll do everything to make sure our territories are peaceful, and that we can work together. I'll do everything you said and more."

Lunafreya giggled. "I know I don't have to worry about you taking care of Prompto. You already do it so well," she teased.

Rubbing his neck, Noctis flicked his tail back and forth. "Luna, I just...I'm really sorry, about everything and I really appreciate everything you've done. I...I want you to know I consider you one of my closest friends," he said.

Nodding, she squeezed his hand. "You don't have to apologize Noctis," she whispered. "Just...be happy."

With a smile Noctis squeezed her hand back. "You too."

And with a final nod, Lunafreya left Noctis in the hallway, ready to go tell Prompto the most amazing news.

~~

"Gladio, you can put me down," Ignis whispered, staring up the Alpha. "I can walk just fine."

"Like hell you can. You limped the whole way back from Niflheim. Plus, if I carry ya' I know you'll get to the infirmary and you won't try and escape," Gladio snorted.

"The king practically ordered me to go, I wasn't going to run away," Ignis huffed.

"Iggy, I'm about to be your Alpha, just lemme pamper ya'," Gladio muttered.

With a defeated sigh, Ignis leaned against Gladio. "Alright, just this once then."

"Good," Gladio said, kissing the top of Ignis' forehead.

He carried him the rest of the way to the infirmary and placed him down gently on one of the larger beds, explaining to the nurse what had happened. The woman nodded, her tail swishing back and forth nervously. "We'll make sure he stays off it," she nodded, not wanting to disagree with Gladio.

Taking a seat next to Ignis, Gladio sighed. "Ya' gotta stay off it for a few days," he grunted. "I'll come read to you everyday until you're allowed to be walking again."

"How thoughtful of you," Ignis replied, smiling at his mate-to-be. "Though it will be quite frustrating, not being able to move for a bit." His lips curled into a frown as he stared at the plain white sheets set on his hospital bed.

"Yeah I get it," Gladio said. "But this way you'll heal faster and be back to normal in no time."

"I know," Ignis said, glancing towards the brunet. "I...didn't get to thank you for saving my life in Niflheim. Multiple times." Ignis' cheeks heated up, the red kissing his pale skin so beautifully Gladio couldn't help but blush at the sight too.

"Hey, I wasn't going to let some stupid fox guard kill my mate-to-be," Gladio snorted, looking rather proud of himself.

A chuckle left Ignis' lips. "I know, but I still appreciate it," he explained.

"Well, I'm sure you would do the same for me," Gladio said.

Immediately, Ignis rest his own palm over Gladio's. "Of course I would."

"I know. That's just part of the reason why I love you," Gladio sighed, a smile present on his lips.

"Oh hush now, Gladio," Ignis said, quick to brush him off.

"What?" he smirked, nudging his side as he pressed a kiss to Ignis' cheek, "Embarrass ya'?" he asked.

"Perhaps...a bit. I'm sorry, it always takes me off guard when you say that. Of course, I love you too, it’s just...sometimes I get surprised by how easily you say it," Ignis babbled, which Gladio knew meant the man was getting nervous. He only prattled on nervously when he was slightly embarrassed.

"A-Anyway," Ignis said, squeezing Gladio's hand. "I believe there is something we should talk about."

"Yeah?" Gladio said, his ears perking up and standing completely on edge. He looked nervous, as though Ignis were about to drop some sort of emotional bomb on him. He supposed in a way he sort of was.

"It's...about mating," Ignis said. "Noct is about to mate with Prompto. Since his father actually approved this plan...it means the first moment Noctis is able to, I am certain he will be mating with Prompto, which...which means...that you and I could-" he trailed off, his green eyes peering over the rim of his glasses at Gladio's amber eyes.

"Finally be together?" Gladio offered, finishing the sentence.

"Yes..." Ignis said. "I thought by your next rut you could knot me. If you wanted."

A wide smile stretched across Gladio's face, and he lurched forward, forgetting about Ignis' injury for the moment as he wrapped his arms around his body. "If I wanted? If I _wanted_?! I love you so much, Ignis, you know I've been waiting for this forever!" Gladio chuckled. "'Course we can do that during my next rut, and you'll finally be _mine_ ," he hummed, purring against Ignis' neck.

"Yes," Ignis chuckled, running his fingers gently down his back. "Finally yours. I love you too. Thank you for waiting."

Gladio could've held Ignis there in his arms forever. "You know I would've waited for an eternity, if it meant eventually being with you."

"I know." And it was that fact that made Ignis love Gladio more than he could ever say.

~~

"This is silly," Noctis huffed, swinging his arms back and forth as Ignis adjusted his robes.

"What is?" Ignis asked, tucking the collar of the long robe against Noctis' chest.

" _This_ ," Noctis muttered, gesturing to his clothes, his tail flicking back and forth. "It's Prompto. We've technically already done this."

"I understand that, but this still is your official mating ceremony and things must be taken seriously. I was convinced you would be happy since you are getting the chance to mate with the boy you are in love with," Ignis said, a hint of annoyance in his voice.

"No, no 'course I'm excited about that," Noctis said. "But I don't get why we have to be so damn formal about it!" Noctis sighed.

"Because you are the royal prince, and though you did it before, you did not do it in the proper way." Ignis stated bluntly. "Now you will have a proper mating ceremony."

"Yeah, yeah, I get it Iggy," Noctis sighed, rolling his eyes. His instincts were flaring up, knowing his soon-to-be mate was just a few rooms over, struggling with his heat.

"There, you're all set, and now you can enjoy the rest of your evening with Prompto," Ignis smirked, folding his arms. "Noct, I know perhaps it has not seemed this way, but I am truly happy things are working out for the two of you."

"Thanks, Iggy," Noctis smiled, patting his shoulder. "I'm glad you finally let Gladio knot you," he smirked. "Lately he's seemed much more calm." Really Noctis was impressed Ignis had let Gladio do it before Noctis and Prompto had. Ignis had always been so adamant about waiting until after Noctis had, but perhaps he knew how set in stone Noctis and Prompto's union was.

Ignis blushed. "Yes, well he's been waiting a long time."

"Yup. Me too," Noctis winked, and took a step outside the door.

It had been a few weeks since their expedition to free Prompto from Ardyn's control, and things were starting to move forward. The fox clan still had not picked a leader, but Regis had announced the union between Noctis and Prompto immediately after it had been discussed. Lucians had been shocked, and many wolves were not keen on the idea, but others seemed positive, hopeful this was a step in the right direction.

The main council in the fox clan also had taken positive steps in the right direction, and they were looking to appoint a leader who would be open to negotiating with the wolves and rabbits. No one was looking for a war, and though there were people who clearly were not interested in this union, most were happy signs of a war were hopefully disappearing.

So far, it seemed, no one had found out Noctis had been the one to kill Ardyn Izunia, or if they had, no one cared. Perhaps Ardyn hadn't been well-liked by the fox clan.

Lunafreya and her family had left shortly after, and Noctis had thanked her again, saying bye, though knowing he would be seeing her again in the future. Ravus had looked happy however, and Noctis couldn't help but laugh a little.

And now, Prompto had finally hit a heat, meaning Noctis could mate him and finally have him for his own.

As he walked down the hall, the council greeted him with bows, smiles and claps, happy Noctis was finally going to take a mate. It was a joyous occasion, knowing the prince would be happily mated and ready to provide an heir. All this was well and good, but Noctis really didn't care about ceremonies and congratulations.

He knew that at the end of this hall, Prompto was waiting for him.

His father smiled to him, bowing as Noctis stopped in front of Prompto's door. "Take good care of your Omega my son. I...am truly happy that this was able to work in your favor," he said, gently touching his shoulder.

"Thanks," Noctis smiled, his tail swishing back and forth excitedly. "I'm...really happy too."

He reached his hand forward, turning the knob as he opened the door, immediately hit by Prompto's sweet scent. _Gods _he'd forgotten how good Prompto smelled. Like fresh snow, and cake, so sweet and delicious, everything Noctis loved.__

__"Prom," he said on a sigh, turning the corner to see Prompto sitting on the bed, his robes loosely hanging from his shoulder._ _

__Immediately, his bright face lit up, and he leaned forward. "Noct! I've been waiting! Gladio told me to wait here forever ago!"_ _

__"Yeah," Noctis sighed, taking a seat on the edge of the bed. "Ignis was taking forever with my robes. I know I had to walk in front of the council and my father, but I'm just going to take them off, so I dunno why he was being so particular." Noctis rolled his eyes, and Prompto chuckled, reaching his hands out for him._ _

__"Yeah but you're here now."_ _

__Scooting forward, Noctis cupped his hands around Prompto's cheeks, resting his forehead against his future mate's. "Yeah, and so are you. You're finally here, Prom, you're finally mine," he sighed softly, taking in all of Prompto's scent. He remembered how amazing it felt when they had connected before, and he couldn't wait to have that bond back again, the hole in his heart finally filled back up._ _

__"I-I can't believe your father was okay with this...after everything," he panted, his arms draping over Noctis' shoulders as his hips rocked forward._ _

__"Same, but I'm not gonna complain," he snorted, letting out his own scent to calm Prompto's._ _

__"'Course not!" Prompto giggled. "I would never complain about getting to be with you."_ _

__" _Gods_ , Prom," Noctis whispered. "You smell so amazing, I want you so bad already."_ _

__Prompto's light blue eyes stared into Noctis'. "Then take me," he said, his fingers curling in the back of Noctis' hair. "I can finally be yours." His breath was huffy, his heat clearly in control. Leaning forward, he pressed his lips to Noctis' ear. "Let me present myself to you."_ _

__Noctis' face turned bright red, his cock jumping at the thoughts. His instincts swirled in his lower belly and he pressed his nose to Prompto's neck, growling. His teeth nibbled against his skin. "Damn Prompto...at least let me take my time with you."_ _

__"Whatever you wanna do, bud. We have all night." He smiled, running his fingers down Noctis' back, following his shiver. Prompto was his Omega, his mate, and Noctis was going to enjoy this._ _

__Kissing up his neck, he wrapped his lips around Prompto's pulse, lapping his tongue over it as he nibbled gently at his skin, peppering small marks. "Mine," he hissed._ _

__A sighing moan left Prompto's lips, his head tilting back as Noctis brought his lips up to capture Prompto's. He kissed him deeply, his hands wrapping in his hair, and he sucked on Prompto's lower lip, swiping his tongue over it. Prompto's scent was growing stronger by the minute, and Noctis was immediately reminded of how good it had felt when Prompto took his knot. He'd pulled him in so tightly and kept him warm and _gods_ Noctis couldn't wait to do it again._ _

__"We gotta get these robes off," Noctis panted against Prompto's lips._ _

__"Y-Yeah...Yeah yours too," Prompto whimpered, his ears folding down against his head._ _

__Between messy kisses, Noctis slipped his hands into Prompto's robe, pushing it down over his shoulders, his fingers running over his soft, freckled skin. Rolling his own shoulders back, Noctis helped Prompto slip off the upper robes, baring his own chest for him. "I love you," Noctis whispered, pecking his lips. "Gods Prom, I've always loved you and I'm so happy we're finally getting our bond back."_ _

__Prompto curled his hands around Noctis' lacing their fingers together. "I've been waiting for so long to be able to tell you that you're the only one I've ever wanted. Just you Noct, and...I love you so much and there's no one else I want to be bonded to," he whispered, nipping at his lips._ _

__"Mine," Noctis chuckled again, giving Prompto's nipples a soft squeeze._ _

__With a moan, Prompto's eyes fluttered shut and he pressed his lips to Noctis' again, kissing him once more. "Noct, lemme present to you."_ _

__There it was again, the flip-flopping of stomach, his instincts boiling up in his throat. Growling against Prompto's lips, he nodded. "Yeah, okay..." he sighed, his hands shaking with anticipation as he wondered what Prompto would look like, baring himself completely._ _

__"I love you," Prompto smirked, and Noctis loved how confident he looked as he pushed his robes down further. Tugging his bronze wristlets, he placed them on his bedside table, glancing quickly at his double marks, soon, Noctis' marks would return and it would look normal once again. He wiggled his hips, pushing off his pants as he tossed them to the side, completely naked in front of his prince._ _

__Noctis' pupils dilated, looking over Prompto's naked body as he began to position himself. His cock was already hard, standing proud against his lower abdomen, bubbling precum at the tip. He pushed himself up, turning around on the bed as his naked form crawled onto all fours. Slowly, he lowered himself down, knees raised up, his chest pressing against the bed as he bared his ass completely for Noctis to see. His fluffy tail flopped to the side, allowing Noctis to see all of him._ _

__His hole was gaping, slightly stretched from any preparation Prompto had done while waiting for him, and he was wet, so very wet, slick coating the rim and trickling down his leg now that he was in such a compromised position._ _

__"D-Damn..." Noctis stammered, Prompto's scent hitting him the strongest now that he was looking at his perfect ass. His body was screaming, his fingers clenching into fists as he stared, it took every instinct to not mount him and let his knot swell immediately._ _

__Instead, he took a deep breath, and leaned forward to taste his mate. Prompto shivered, moaning loudly against the pillow, the sensation taking him off guard. "N-Noct..." he whimpered, his body trembling as Noctis pushed his tongue inside of Prompto, stretching his hole even more. He wanted Prompto to enjoy taking his knot, so the wider his hole was the better._ _

__His slick coated Noctis' lips, and he pressed a finger inside, curling it upwards inside of his wet muscles. "Y-Yeah...gods, Noctis, more," Prompto panted, his moans growing higher and higher in pitch. From how wet the Omega was, Noctis could only assume Prompto was enjoying how it felt. Pumping his tongue in and out, he added more fingers, stretching Prompto's wet entrance._ _

__"F-Fuck I can't wait to knot you," Noctis sighed, rubbing his free hand over Prompto's bare ass. "Make you mine all over again, for real," he whispered._ _

__"Y-Yeah..." Prompto whimpered. "H-Hurry Noct...I need you," he groaned. He raised his ass more, his tail twitching as he clutched at the sheets beneath him._ _

__Pulling his hand back, Noctis lapped at some of the slick juices dripping from the edge of Prompto's ass. "Tell me what it is you want, Prom," he said, his hot breath tickling his gaping hole, his hands gripping at Prompto's ass and pulling his cheeks apart as far as they could go._ _

__"A-Ah!" Prompto moaned, his head leaning back. "G-Gimme your knot...please Noctis, please mate me..." he whined, drool slipping down his chin._ _

__"Well since you asked so nicely," Noctis chuckled, as though his own cock wasn't hard and uncomfortable in his pants. Backing up, Noctis slipped down his pants. Rubbing at the precum slipping from his tip, Noctis stroked down his length, moaning softly at the thought of Prompto's warm ass._ _

__He brought his fingers to Prompto's hips, pulling him closer. Planting his knees on the bed, he pressed his tip to his entrance, watching as Prompto's hips twitched and pushed back towards his cock. "Eager," he whispered._ _

__"Noct, c'mon," Prompto begged, panting heavily, his saliva pooling on the pillow beneath him._ _

__"I love seeing you in heat like this." Leaning over, Noctis pressed a kiss to Prompto's sweaty back before burying himself deep inside of Prompto, thrusting into his ass._ _

__"N-Noct!" Prompto moaned, his tail standing up and his head tossing back. His chest pressed closer to the ground, angling up to help Noctis go as deep as possible. "S-So thick," he groaned, his voice breathy and desperate. "Shit..." he moaned._ _

__Noctis' cock twitched inside of Prompto, his body desperate to move as his fingers dug into his hips. Pulling back, he slammed inside of Prompto, pumping hard. He began to hump himself into Prompto's wet, needy hole. His breath was staccato, and he leaned over Prompto's back, thrusting into him hard. "F-Fuck Prom...P-Prom," he moaned, kissing at the back of Prompto's neck as he fucked into his ass hard. His hands slipped around Prompto's chest, tweaking his nipples, and rubbing over his skin._ _

__"A-Ah...N-Noct..." Prompto whined, his hands clinging to the bed. He pressed his hips back, trying to match Noctis' hard, animalistic thrusts. Noctis' heavy sac slapped against Prompto's ass, and all he wanted was for Noctis to swell and empty inside of him. He was so close to being Noctis' again, and he was growing impatient. His own cock swung beneath him, precum dripping onto the bed as Noctis slammed into his prostate over and over._ _

__"S-Shit..." Noctis moaned, slapping their hips together. He planted his feet against the bed, pulling Prompto's hips up as high as they could go as he thrust down into him aggressively, his Alpha side completely taking over. His Omega was wet, open, and taking his cock completely, Prompto was about to be his, it turned him on more than he could vocalize._ _

__His hands spread Prompto's cheeks, and Noctis watched as his cock disappeared deep inside of Prompto's ass over and over. "Damn you take it so well," he grunted._ _

__"Gimme your knot, Noctis please!" Prompto begged, his ears pressing close to his head as he held out his long moans._ _

__"F-Fuck...yes..." Noctis whispered, already feeling the telling twitch of his cock. "S-Shit wait..." he grumbled, knowing they'd be stuck together until the swelling went down. He wanted to see how amazing Prompto's face looked when he came, so full of Noctis and overwhelmed by their time._ _

__Pulling out, he gripped Prompto's hips, helping him flip over. "N-Noct?" Prompto asked, his body splayed out before him. His cute red-faced smile was enough to tell Noctis changing positions had been worth it._ _

__"Wanted to see your face," Noctis hummed._ _

__Rolling his hips back, Noctis gripped under Prompto's ass, lifting him and slipping inside. This time he wrapped his tail around Prompto's, hovering over him as he slowly rolled his hips in deep. "A-Ah," Prompto moaned, his eyes fluttering shut as he rest his head against the pillow, his hips thrusting up towards Noctis. "I love you so much," he panted, running his fingers down Noctis' bare chest._ _

__"I love you too, Prom," Noctis said, picking up the pace of his hips. His finish was so close, his knot already beginning to swell at the base of his cock. "Cum for me," Noctis panted, wrapping his hand around Prompto's twitching cock._ _

__Lurching upwards, Prompto moaned, his back arching off of the bed. "N-Noct!! A-Ah, ngh!" he grunted, his hips rolling towards Noctis' hand. Between the over stimulation of Noctis' hand and how deep his cock was pushing, Prompto knew he would not be able to last. "N-Noctis!" he yelped. "I-I'm cumming!" he panted, his eyes fluttering as his moan fell deep in his throat, cum spurting from the tip of cock, making a mess of Noctis' hand and his own chest. "F-Fuck...you're amazing," he sighed. "G-Give me your knot...I wanna feel it stretch me wide."_ _

__"Yeah, yeah," Noctis panted. "My perfect mate," he whispered, watching as Prompto's body twitched and clenched around him. He was so beautiful, and watching him come completely undone like that, Noctis couldn't wait to do this all the damn time. "I think you earned this knot," he grunted, his hips thrusting in fast as his cock began to swell. He slowed his movement, his thrusts more sensual as his knot grew and grew, cum pouring into Prompto's ass. "A-Ah...Ah...Prom...Prompto... _gods_ ," Noctis moaned, tilting his head back as his hips slowly stopped rolling, unable to move as he locked into place._ _

__Glancing down at Prompto, his heart begin to race. Their scents began to mingle in the air, the smell of Prompto mixing with his perfectly, it was a feeling he remembered so well, even though it had been years. Their scents connecting, signaling to others who they belonged to._ _

__A gentle warm sensation began to tickle his wrists, and he glanced down at Prompto, who smiled wide, holding his wrist up as Noctis' flames began to curl around his wrist, all three marks mixing together quite beautifully. Everything about Prompto was so damn beautiful. On his own skin, he watched as Prompto's Omega waves danced under his Alpha marks, and he smiled, looking down at his now mate._ _

__Prompto's cheeks were flushed, and he looked absolutely perfect. "I love you," he whispered, reaching up to cup Noctis' cheek. Squeezing his tail, Noctis wrapped his fingers around Prompto's and brought his hand to his lips, kissing him softly. He leaned down, pressing their lips together. "I missed you so much," he said, pressing his forehead against Prompto's._ _

__Feeling his heart pound fast against his chest, Noctis sighed, finally feeling _complete_. It was as though he could feel Prompto's heartbeat pounding right beside his own, and his body was so full and connected to his mate. Gods it was better than he remembered--their souls conjoined and twisted together as one._ _

__"I love you too," Prompto said, wrapping his arms around Noctis' neck. Rolling his hips up, Prompto sighed, feeling how thick Noctis' knot was inside of him. "I can't believe this is real. We're really mates right? And it's good, right?" he asked._ _

__Pecking his lips again, Noctis smiled. "Yeah, it's real. And good. Really really good," he chuckled, nuzzling Prompto's nose. "And we're stuck like this, so I get to hold you for as long as I want," he snorted._ _

__"Good," Prompto whispered. "Don't ever let me go."_ _

__"I won't. I promise I won't."_ _

__~~_ _

__Snow fell as it always did, gently, softly--covering the world in a blanket of white. Noctis sat on the back deck, Prompto leaning against him, eyes shut. Their tails were wrapped together, and when the world was this silent and he was so close to his mate, Noctis was certain he could feel Prompto's heartbeat beating in his chest with his own._ _

__"This is my favorite spot," Prompto hummed, intertwining Noctis' fingers with his own._ _

__"Oh yeah?" Noctis teased, knowing exactly why._ _

__"Yeah, dummy! It's where we met!" Prompto snorted. "'Course it's my favorite."_ _

__"I know, I know," Noctis chuckled. "It's mine too. I used to sit out here while you were gone and wonder if you were going to come back. I figured if you did, you might come this way."_ _

__"Yeah?" Prompto said, turning his gaze towards Noctis. With a smile, he pressed their lips together. "Well, thanks for waiting for me."_ _

__"There was no one else worth waiting for," Noctis snorted. "Idiot."_ _

__Prompto nodded, glancing out towards the snowy garden. They'd only been mates for about a week, but already everything seemed perfect. Noctis was here by his side, their marks connected, and their bodies as well. He never would've imagined this life could be his reality, and really Prompto felt so lucky. They had so much more of their lives ahead of them, and who knew what it would bring. Maybe they'd start trying for a family, eventually Noctis would be the king...Prompto shook his head, knowing there was no point in stressing about what they would do in the future, especially when Noctis was right here, right now. For as long as they'd been apart and suffered, now that he was happy, he wanted to savor every moment._ _

__Staring at the garden, Prompto was sure he'd seen the specters of them as happy children, bouncing through the fluffy white snow. In that moment, Prompto had thought he'd never be happier, but he'd been wrong. Oh so wrong._ _

__Glancing up at his mate, he squeezed Noctis' tail, leaning to kiss him. "I love you, Noct," he chuckled._ _

__"I love you too," he said, brushing their noses together._ _

__With a smirk, Prompto flicked his gaze to the side, glancing at the falling snowflakes. "Hey, you...wanna make snow angels?" he asked with a playful grin._ _

__Standing up, Noctis pulled Prompto to his feet, kissing him one more time. "You know it.”_ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhhh I can't believe this is the last chapter!! TBH I might write one shots in this verse in the future because I just love it so much. I had so much fun writing this fic and sharing it with everyone and seriously the response I received was incredible. Thank you to everyone who commented, kudo-ed, bookmarked etc. it really means a lot to me! <3 I am so proud of myself for not being late and sticking to a schedule on this fic and for legit posting once a week! I am having such a great time being a part of this fandom, and I'm super looking forward to my next promptis multi-chapter! I hope you guys enjoy! 
> 
> Thank you to Adriana for reading this ahead of time as always!

**Author's Note:**

> [emeraldwaves](http://emeraldwaves.tumblr.com/) is my tumblr where i write random stuff  
> [musickazoo](https://twitter.com/musickazoo) is my twitter if you wanna yell about FF with me!


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